


Zodiarm

by Cotaku



Series: Zodiarm [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 50,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cotaku/pseuds/Cotaku
Summary: Niv has grown around the influence of Tokusatsu (Special Effects) Superhero shows thanks to the influence of his parents, but after the tragic loss of his parents at the age of 7 he lost his motivation as his role models were lost to a car accident. However,one day at the age of 17,he came to the opportunity to possess the power of the Zodiarm Bracer. A power reminiscent to what he saw on television as a child and he found himself in a position that he wants to save others. Will he be able to rekindle his inner flame that was passed down by his parents to save lives? Will he be able to become a super hero like his early dreams entailed?
Series: Zodiarm [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718218
Kudos: 6





	1. A yielding Lion

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original concept and work of mine that by no means is based on any other existing work of fiction. I am not good at writing (English isn't even my main language) so I hope i can learn through the reception my readers give it.

Prologue Part 1:

A child is sitting with great enthusiasm in front of an old CRT television as he watches an old tokusatsu super hero program. The sound of the audio from the TV’s speakers mix in with the whirling of the VCR that was hooked up to said television.

“After being betrayed by his friend,Jacob who has now turned into the evil Akra’ab by the hands of The Master. Arieh,The unyielding Lion must save Ephraim, an acquaintance of him from falling down to his death! However can he save them both? The Lion will have to make a choice that will test himself as a hero! Will he save Ephraim and battle his old friend? Or will he sacrifice Ephraim in order to try and save Jacob? Watch the conclusion of the story,now!” The narrator’s accompanying words highlighted the importance of the scene, causing the child to rock his seat.

“Mwahahahaha, If you want to save your friend...then you MUST give me your Lion Changer! If not…” Akra’ab hangs Ephraim,the hostage above the cliff,swinging him playfully as if to taunt the concerned hero. “He will be a splatter on the cliff’s rock bottom.”

Ephraim,A bespectacled youth yelps in fear as he looks downward to the deep pit below him. His legs try to touch the edge of the cliff with little success. “Arieh,you moron! Why did you come here? You are closer than ever before to save the world but you came to save me instead?” Ephraim shouted towards the hero below him. “If you listen to him. We will lose!”

Arieh,A man with a brown skin appearance stood at the scene,he had reddish hair and a clean shaved face with narrow brows but big eyes,he wore a black jacket with green cargo pants.

He could only grip his own palm firmly with frustration. “I know...I KNOW that.” he told himself as he felt pitiful because he wasn’t able to do anything. “But if someone would die while I could do something, then perhaps I am not fit to save the world…” He shouted towards Ephraim which caused the hostage to gasp in shock. “I promised my mentor I wouldn’t let anyone die.” Arieh continued in a more humble yet determined tone as he takes out the wrist Morpher from his pocket.

“Do I have your word,Ephraim would be safe?” Arieh asked hesitantly. “Do you promise me that?”

Akra’ab snarls as if he was laughing. “You know that’s up to you.” he jeered. “GIVE ME THE LION CHANGER!!”

Arieh clicked his tongue as he tosses the LIon Changer towards Akra’ab,which promptly catch it with his free hand.”Ahhhhh,Many thanks to you,Lion…” He inspects the Lion Changer to see that it’s the real deal,confirming it shortly after. “However,I wasn’t planning on setting your friend free,alive anyway.” Akra’ab stretches the hand that holds Ephraim over the pit. Causing Ephraim to struggle violently.

“You Monster!” Arieh screamed. “I listened to you because you were once my friend. Is there ANY humanity left in you?!” The hero asked pitifully since somewhere deep down he knew it was a possibility,however he wanted to trust his dear old friend whom he shared laughs,pain and sorrow with.

“Not after The Master gave me this new power.” He chuckled insulted Arieh’s image of the man whom he once was. “I was powerless before but now I can do WHATEVER I want. And now the only person who can stop me,is helpless, just like I was.” after lamenting his past weakness,Akra’ab threw Ephraim off the cliff.

“ARIEHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Ephraim yelled helplessly.

“Try to save your friend without your powers! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Akra’ab laughed at his old friend as he faced an impossible situation.

Ephraim tried to outstretch his hand to his friend,Arieh. it wasn’t going to save him but he couldn’t help trying to reach him. The scene begins to slow down as Arieh tries to hopelessly dash towards the falling Ephraim,reaching out to his hand.

Arieh could have only thought to himself that he was foolish to think Jacob was still inside that monster. How he is paying the price of hanging onto that trust by losing someone else he considered a friend. He questioned wherever he deserved the power of the lion. Did his mentor make a mistake by choosing him?

Arieh tried to jump and reach out for Ephraim,but their hands couldn’t even touch. Arieh caught in his eyes the scared expression of Ephraim as he fell to his death and Arieh fell to the ground just before the pit.

But before Ephraim hit the floor,a blue streak caught him and flew upwards and saving the young man from danger. The blue streak continued upwards until it quickly pivoted so it began to move towards Akra’ab and the hand which held the Lion Changer,and snatched it away from the villainous scorpion.

Akra’ab rolled on the floor as he holds his hands in pain,pyrotechnic effects show sparks and smoke coming out of his hand “W-who did this??!!” he asked perplexingly as he searched for the culprit.

“Shame on you for taking advantage of Arieh’s gentle nature!” The blue streak turns into a blue female tokusatsu hero with a swallow motif. She is holding Ephraim in one hand and the Lion Changer in the other. “You guys were really predictable so I had to jump in and help you.” She throws the Lion Changer to Arieh’s hand.

“Snunith I…” Arieh could barely open his mouth as he felt deflated, falling for his trap like that.

“Save it for later big guy.” his female partner retorted. “We gotta beat this jerk before he tries to hurt anyone ever again!” she declared as she entered her fighting pose.

“Right..!” Arieh puts the Lion Changer on his left hand. And then he proceeds to press on the emblem to power it up.

“Roar with pride!” He makes a lion like hand gesture as he performs his transformation stance. “Transform!!” He yelled the command his body is filled with light. After the light dispersed, a lion motif armor surrounds him. In a typical masked superhero fashion. It looked detailed but obviously vintage,especially as the suit became more and more used as the show went on.

“I am the defender of Nature and life...The Unyielding Lion!!” He pounds the ground to announce his heroic presence.

Swallow follows his announcement by moving her body elegantly in a spin. Spreading her wings. “The Heroine of the Sky! The Super Sonic Swallow!”

As they announced their arrival,an explosive blast appeared before them as the smoke matched their primary colors, Red and Blue as the camera gave a broad shot of them in their action poses.

“Darn youuuu.” Akra’ab held his hands with rage. “ If it wasn’t for you,Swallow I would have be been victorious!”

“Ah-uh-uh!” Swallow wags her finger with a disappointment. “Blaming others for your misfortune is a biiiiig no-no.”

Arieh,now in his Superhero form,The Lion turned to Akra’ab,his former friend. “I nearly lost someone I see as a friend because I trusted you. Someone I considered a friend in the past. But I will now make you pay for your actions.” He turns to his female companion to ask “Swallow, Will you help me?”

“Man,you’re a bit late asking for this.” She turns to him as he raises her hand to form a fist. “ I’m here aren’t I? Let’s beat this guy!”

Lion, Swallow and Akra’ab run to each other and start fighting. Lion throws punches and slashes using his claws while Swallows charges towards Akra’ab in the air and uses her legs to kick him in the back.badgering and staggering the villain.

“Annoying!!” After enough punishment, Akra’ab pulls a whip and tries to lash at Lion,giving him a couple of lashes until he tries to get Swallow off his back by wrapping his whip around her leg and swings her around, as they both eventually fall onto the floor.

“My plan might have failed but it doesn’t mean I am going to lose!” He declared his soon to come victory.

Lion and Swallow get up on their feet,shaking off the pain. “Man,he really did power up.” Swallow said as she tried to control he breathing.  
“But it doesn’t mean he is stronger than us when we are together!” Lion declared as he moves his left hand as if to dispel the notion that they are weaker than him.

“You’re all dead!!” Akra’ab jumps in the air as his whip burns with dreadful energy. He prepares to unleash his ultimate attack.

“It’s now or never!” Swallow told Lion as Akra’ab started to come down onto them.

“Right!!” Lion jumps in the air as he blocks the sun with his body. He is filled with yellow light as his claws extend out of his hands. Swallow crouches down and opens her wings as she prepares to charge upward.

“Shining...SLASH!!”  
Tornado...DUSTER!!”

Lion charges downward like a lion preying on his target while Swallow charges upward. Their finisher attacks intersect on Akra’ab’s body. As Lion ends up doing a ground pound while Swallow elegantly glides back to the ground before Akra’ab’s body comes crashing down afterwards.

Akra’ab tries to stand up after his body suffered major damage, sparks were practically flying out of him. “ I….in the end I couldn’t have beaten you...this is the ultimate humiliation...but my master will win...GLORY TO THE MASTER!!” He announces his master’s future victory with open arms as he exploded.

Lion and Swallow pose heroically to the screen with their backs to the explosion,typical heroic fashion.

“Arieh!! Snunith!!” Ephraim runs towards them after crying their names and ends up bumping into Arieh who held him by the shoulders, Ephraim tries to catch his breath but he didn’t wait until he calmed down to ask “Are you alright?”

Arieh and Snunith cancel their transformations, and we finally see Snunith’s face and appearance for the first time.

Fair skinned girl with pixie cut,kind of messy but it fits her slim and sporty aesthetic. She wore a blue jacket and jean coordination as a white and blue striped shirt under it. Her eyes were small and her face was almost chick like but her expression was tomboyish through and through.

“I should be asking You, you nearly fell to your death!” Arieh hugs Ephraim tightly in his arms. “ I am really sorry for not being a better friend to you, because of my negligence I almost lost not one but two of my friends.” He began to tear up as he reaffirmed the existence of his friend in front of him.

“I am fine but...what about your old friend, Jacob?” Ephraim paused for a second.” You knew him longer than you have known me and now he is-”

Arieh let’s go of Ephraim but he puts his hand on his shoulder. “Jacob was a good friend of mine but,The Master corrupted his mind. My friend was a gentle man who would not harm anyone but in his weakness he has turned into something he originally abhorred. Attaining power at the expense of others and using said power to abuse those around him is...something I cannot accept. I tried saving him from his downfall and even tried to trust the person he was...but I-” Arieh started to choke on his own words,feeling like he still failed in the end.

“Arieh…” Snunith could only look at her partner with a sad expression. It’s true she also knew Jacob but she felt more sadness for her friend who nearly fell to the master’s plot. She respected Arieh’s ideals and abhorred the way he was toyed with.

“If he tried to hurt someone else, even if you may not see me as a friend the way I see you. I can’t call myself a hero if i turn a blind eye to such actions,even by a loved one.” Arieh proclaimed as he rubbed his eyes using his dirty jacket and braved a smile to his friends which causes them a slight relief from their concern.

The camera began to distance itself from the heroes as the Narrator concluded the episode. “The Unyielding Lion had to face a situation where a person he once trusted almost hurt those around him and he risked it all to save two people he held dear. But in the end, he could only have saved save Ephraim who was nearly a victim of Akra’ab’s evil plot. This teaches us a lesson that some people cannot be saved by words alone, sometimes you have to take a stand and do what you feel is right...but even then some actions do have repercussions. Sometimes what you want to do is not the best solution but you should be there for your loved ones. That’s what the Unyielding Lion Believes! “

As the “To be continued” text appears on the screen, the credits start to roll as the main theme is heroically played.

The child who watched the episode starts to sing the theme song with great enthusiasm,mimicking the hero's attacks with his hands until the door behind him opens.  
A woman who is his mother appeared with a food tray entered the room.

“Niv,Sweetie. Are you watching Television in the dark again? You know it’s bad for your eyes.” The mother puts the tray of rice and schnitzel on the table . “Dinner is ready.”

“Yes mom!” the child who was called Niv sat at the table in his room and started eating his food with vigor.

His mom looked at the screen as he eyes opened wide. “Oh,you are watching that TV show again.” she lights up the room after her hands were from holding the tray.

“Yes!! And it gets better every time!! Lion and Swallow are the COOLEST!” Niv answered as he smacked the food in his mouth.

“Now now,don’t talk with your mouth full. I don’t want you to choke.” She admonished her son’s bad manners but gave up quickly since she didn’t want to spoil his good mood. Her eyes went to the TV screen for a moment and see’s Swallow without her helmet and the resemblance were uncanny, as the Niv’s mother and Snunith were in fact the same person, although not as young and skinny and had longer hair. A handful of years has passed and so did her role,from a guardian of peace in a kid’s show,to a mother of a child.

“It feels rather nostalgic. Seeing my younger self in that suit.” she muttered to herself in a melancholic tone.

“You sound sad mom” Niv said shyly as he quietly chewed his food,giving her a worried face.

“Well, It was a really fun yet exhausting time for me. Being a superhero on a TV show was hard work. But I wouldn’t replace that time for anything in the world because that’s how your father and I met.” she touches her ring as she smiled warmly to her son. “ That show changed my life and helped to create you.” she rubs Niv’s head.

“Moooom stop it.” He pushes her arm away in embarrassment.

His mom looked at him with surprised but had a playful look in her eyes. “You aren’t in the age to be rebellious to your mom’s love. C’mere~!“ She starts playing a bit more roughly with him and tickles him up and Niv unsuccessfully struggles.

A large hand knocked on the door and the man who entered the room who looked exactly like Arieh,The Unyielding Lion. Only older and with a bit more facial hair. Although his physique was more built.

“Dad!!!” Niv said with glee.

“Hey kiddo!! How are you doing?” his old man crouched down and opened his arms to give Niv a big hug.

Niv gets up from his seat and jumps into his dad’s arms,giving him a big “welcome back” hug.

As his father picked up Niv in the air he also notices the television running the show. “He was watching the old show again?” he asked his wife with embarrassment.

His mom laughs. “He just can’t get enough of it.”

Niv’s father hold his son in the air and looks at him with a puzzling expression. “ I am sure there are other hero shows you can watch, Like that Laserman they started talking about. Why are you sticking to your old man’s hero show?” he asked his son.

It wasn’t a surprise a kid would be glued to newer more eye catching shows, The Unyielding Lion was ancient history in broadcasting terms so his father was unsure why his son didn’t like anything that’s more popular to say the least.

“It’s because Mom and Dad are MY heroes!!” Niv shouted with pride,causing his parents to be blush like a beet.

“I think he learned how to flatter from you.” The mother addressed her father like it was his fault.

“True but it wouldn’t have worked for him if he got his looks from you.” Niv’s father rubbed his son’s red hair as it to tease him. Causing Niv to do a small “Noooo” in opposition.

“You’re right about that” she retorted as if to take all the credit in making their beautiful son.

The dad staggers as if he got punched. “Oh i walked right into that one.” He laughs as he hands Niv to his mom. “Well,it’s high time for us to head out. Yona said we can visit her this weekend.

“Alright, I will dress up Niv and see you in the car.” she answered her husband’s words as he walked out of the room.

After a couple of minutes of dressing up Niv in suitable outing clothes they all got into the car.  
The mom fastened Niv in his chair in the backseat as they finally set off to Aunt Yona’s house. A short while after they began to drive,around the time that the sun was setting down.

“Yona! Yona Yona!” Niv chanted excitingly.

“He is that hyped up about seeing her?” His father chuckled as she

“Why yes,he kept insisting that we visit Yona when we can, he basically badgered me about it day and night over the last month. He was thrilled to know she finally has a day off.” The mother answered as if she felt he might relax soon after spending time with his aunt.

Suddenly the dad’s phone started to ring.

“Oh,not again..”The father reacted with frustration.

“Are you getting spam calls?” The mother asked curiously.

“No...it’s more like the acting agency wants me to come back for a couple of more projects. Perhaps renew the show for a newer audience, and they are insisting I will be a part of it.” He answered in a frustrated tone,as if the issue was in the air for quite a while.

“That sounds nice,so what’s the problem?” continued to ask since it wasn’t like him to sound off putted with such a project hanging in the air.

“Well, I just don’t know if I want to come back to it all. I mean I retired from acting and now have a steady job behind the scenes. I am absent from home enough as it is so i don’t want to miss out on you guys even more.” The father confessed with his dissatisfaction with the situation. He was an extremely busy man but he was a conservative family man as well. Or rather he would like to be home once in a while when everyone are present.

“Seeing dad on TV again would be SO COOL!!” Niv rocks his legs on the chair with excitement.

“While I am happy you are giving us priority, I know you enjoy acting just as well….it’s okay to be a bit selfish and do what you want.right? “ She asked in such a way that took awful consideration to his profession.

Her husband quit acting and became a behind the scene production man so his income would grow accordingly to support his family and admittingly it wasn’t what he wanted to do all his life. So she wanted to support any chances he can to reignite his passion as an actor and not coldly look at the screens in the production process.

“I guess I can.” He humbly whispered as he felt his wife was approving. “But if I agree it might mean you would also be pressed to come back.” He answered with concern.

“Oh man,it would be great but I am really out of shape, not to mention I got problems with my knees. It what caused me to stop doing action work. I am not as pretty as I used to be so they might not want me around.” she laughed to herself but if she was honest with herself, her passion for acting hasn’t diminished but she wasn’t a good actor, she mainly focused on stunt work but she eventually quit after a career damaging injury.

“You’re prettier than the day I met you.” He answered he in a narmy tone. Causing her to go “Awwww.”

“Well,I am sure they can find a solution for it. I will be on board with it only if you are.

The mother laughs reassuringly. “Well,we can talk about it over dinner. And then we can--WATCH OUT!!”

Just as the mother muttered those words, A car suddenly crashed into their own vehicle. Causing the car to flip onto the side and hit a tree.  
Once the car stopped,Niv finally opened his eyes as he noticed what happened, he was strapped onto his seat while his parents weren’t in their seats. Niv also noticed that the windshield is practically nonexistent.

“Mom? Dad?” Niv hastily tries to unbuckle himself from his seat and once he manages to release himself,he falls on the side. “Dad? Where are you?”

Niv starts to cry until he notices his parents are lying on the asphalt. He drags himself out of the car as then proceeds to limp towards his parents. Niv’s body was hurting but he just wanted to be next to his parents.

It took him a while to reach them and once he does he falls on his knees and tries to move his parents. To take them up. “Dad,dad get up…Mom,wake up.” He tries to be a bit rougher but his body hurts to move so he falls on the road.

A couple of sirens could be heard at a distance as a police car stops by scene.

A police officer pulls out from his car as he holds the radio in his arm. “I am going to need an ambulance at road 71 near the city limits. I got a car collision with a couple of injure--There is a kid here! He appears relatively unharmed but two adults beside him are gravely injured,looks like they are his parents.”

Shortly after he radioed for an ambulance,two ambulances arrived at the time. Niv needed medical attention so he was taken away from the road and onto the ambulance by a curly haired MDA(First Aid Providers in Israeli emergency situations.) Worker, which caused him to cry as he tried to reach them with his hands.

“We need to treat your wounds too. We won’t separate you from them. I promise.” The MDA Worker tried to reassure Niv.

While he tried to examine and give Niv treatment inside the ambulance, the other MDA Workers examined his parents.

“Holy shit...it’s the Unyielding Lion...I grew up on his as a kid…”A second MDA Worker with glasses reacted with surprise as he recognized his childhood hero.

“Don’t waste time,he needs help.” an African Israeli knee bumps the glasses wearing MDA Worker. “If you got time to admire,you got time to help.”

They started to examine their pulse and injuries.

The glasses wearing MDA Worker examined the father. “I got no pulse,the tattered clothes and blood show multiple injuries across the body. What about the woman?”

“I got a pulse but she is unconcious.” The third MDA Worker announced. “She looks bad but I think the man shielded her from the impact.”

“Anyone around the other car?” Glasses asked the fourth MDA Worker, a blonde woman who searched the smoke ridden car that collided with Niv’s family.

“No one but it’s there is blood everywhere...I will notify police that we have a runaway injured person on the loose.” She answered as she radioed their HQ for support.

“Do that,Get them both on the ambulance,make sure she is stable and take the kid with you. We will need to use the defibrillator on the go.” Glasses ordered all of his coworkers as they acted accordingly.

The MDA Workers do their best to evacuate the injured. They put both of Niv’s parents on gurneys. Niv and his critically wounded Mother were put in one Ambulance, while the Father was put into another Ambulance. After preparing to embark to the hospital, The ambulance’s engine started to run.

“Dad?” Niv asked while sobbing. Seeing his dad being put into the other ambulance.

“We need you to be with your mom,she isn’t feeling well and she needs her son to be her little hero. You didn’t get injured because they protected you. So now you need to protect your mom.”  
The african Israeli MDA worker told Niv that he needs to be with his mom no matter what right now.

Niv tried to say something but he just nodded as he cried. Staying close to his mom.  
The ambulance rushed to the hospital as the siren blared loudly as it drove the now sunless streets towards the nearest hospital.

Prologue Part 2

Niv wakes up after noticing he slept on a ward’s sofa. But he wasn’t alone, A woman was resting against the wall while on nervously fidgeting on her phone, she looked a lot like his mom but was considerably younger,she has a similar pixie cut to when his mother was young. Even if she resembled his mother,Niv knew he can’t mistake his aunt Yona..

“Aunt Yona?” Niv rubbed his swollen eyes as he woke up. “Where are Mom and Dad?” He reluctantly asked as his throat felt heavy.

“Oh Niv,baby,I came in as soon as I got the call,How are you,any injuries?” She asks as she checks his arms and legs for wounds. But sees he only got some small bruises.

“Yona,Where are my mom and dad?” He asks again as he tugs her shirt.

“Sh--They are in the ER, that’s where they treat serious injuries really fast.” She tried to explain to Niv what was going on in a way that he would understand. “The doctors didn’t come out or say anything yet so I am waiting.” she grasps her own jeans trying to muster the strength to not cry in front of Niv until suddenly she had an idea to distract both of them. “Are you hungry? Can your aunt fetch you anything you want?”

Niv tries to say something but he trails off a bit. “I don’t know...mom would get mad if I ask for a burger.“ He muttered a he was worried about his mom,not wanting to upset her.

“Don’t fret about it, it will be our little secret.” Yona mischievously winks at him. “Your aunt never let you down,has she?” she coyly bumps her elbow onto him gently.

He laughs a bit,probably a bit more cheered up. “My mom won’t let me get those big burgers.”

“Alright, I will get you the biggest burger we can find!” She giggled as she lifted him from the sofa. ”I saw a diner in the hospital that serves fast food so I will fetch us something to eat.”

Yona proceeds to hold Niv’s hand and carefully walk him to the diner at his pace.

“Does your mom allow you to drink soda?” Yona asked Niv since she usually didn’t handle him on her own, Her sister was usually on top of things so it was a rare occasion she had one on one time with Niv.

“Only in plastic cups. If i drink too much I can’t sleep.” Coyly answered. He was still tense from doing something like this behind his mother’s back.

“Well, We will get you a bigger cup. Just this once,Deal?” Yona tried to sweeten her offer.

Niv couldn’t help but smile,“Deal!” as he rocked his hands in excitement.

After a short walk,both of them arrive at an empty diner which was surprising considering the hospital was working at full capacity but it felt comfier since they had no prying eyes, Yona made an order at the register and a few minutes passed until the burgers were ready. Yona returned to the table with a big tray that contained one large burger and one medium sized burger. She asked cook to cut Niv’s hamburger to chunks so he won’t have to eat it by holding the burger.

“Wow..it’s really big, are you sure it’s okay for me to eat it?” Niv hesitantly asked as he saw how much meat there is in the medium burger.  
“Don’t be silly.” she handed him some napkins. “You need a lot of energy to hug your parents once they are out of the ER.” of course she didn’t know what will happen but she knew she has to be as optimistic as possible for him.

Niv digs into his burger with excitement and sloppily as well. Yona chuckled as she saw him eat his food like a barbarian and just as she was about to take a bite but she notices a nurse knocking on the window, calling her out.

“Excuse me for a minute,kiddo. I will be right outside.” Yona walks away from the table as Niv is tracking her movement.. He notices the nurse waiting outside. The two start conversing outside the diner but he can’t hear them. Eventually a doctor joins the nurse and everyone’s expression turns sour, which causes Yona’s face to slowly turn paler and paler. After a minute or so Yona raises her hand as if to excuse herself. She comes back into the diner and sits in front of Niv

“Aunt Yona,what did the nurse want?” Niv asked as he looked at his aunt's face.

Yona paused before she took a bite and after a few seconds,She answered him. “I-it’s nothing sweetie. H-how about you finish your burger before it gets stale?”

“Aunt Yona…”

“Yes,sweetie?”

“You’re crying.”

After being told she is indeed crying,Yona bursted into tears while the burger suffocated her voice. She thought she could be brave in front of him, at least in front of him for a little longer before she could tell him. Before she could tell him what the doctor and nurse told him. She didn’t have enough strength right now but she wanted to be a pillar of courage for him. But all she could do is cry like a child, which caused Niv to cry as well. It isn’t clear if he realized at since he is just 7 but he resonated with her nonetheless.

♌ Chapter 1 - 10 Years After - A yielding Lion Part 1 ♌

Niv wakes up in his bed as tears fall from his eyes. He slowly gets up to a sitting position as he rubs the tears away from his red eyes. “That dream keeps coming back…” After slapping himself with his hands he gets ready by starting his day, changing his clothes,brushing his teeth.

He comes down the stairs as he notices a note on the fridge. It’s from his aunt.

“Sorry I keep skipping on breakfast but I will be home for dinner. Make sure you eat properly and come back right after school! Don’t stay out late!! Love Yona XOXO”

Niv groans as he ruffled up his red hair. “She would kick my ass if I won’t show up..guess I am coming early today.”

Niv then begins to prepare his breakfast. His aunt’s work schedule is all over the place so he had to work on making his own meals when he was able to. He decided to make some toast with pastrami and hummus and then heads out after grabbing his school bad,running to the bus station.

Niv paced himself to the bus station his a quickened breath. “God I really hope the bus station isn’t..packed…” Niv sees the a small crowd in front of the station,it has a diverse group of people from all ages.

“I hate this line…” He sulks as he approaches the station slowly,waiting on the side.

As he waited for his line,an old lady approached him.

“извините, ребёнок.” The lady inquired a question towards Niv.

“Hm?” He turns his head to her as he thought she was talking to him.

“Мне было интересно, можете ли вы мне помочь, мне нужно добраться до ... центральной станции? Мой внук сказал мне, что мне нужно взять линию 5, но я не знаю, где она. Я ждал здесь долгое время.” The lady starting bombing his ears in russian, a language he has never spoke nor learned as if he was a migrant from russia.

He flinches as he doesn’t understand russian at all. “Uh...ya ne ponimayu russkiy.” (I don’t understand russian)

The old lady reacts to his words with an “Ah.” which made her try to talk in his language.  
“Old Lady: L-line 5? When?” she struggled to pronounced it with a very heavy accent but she wasn’t relenting from her question.

“ Ah!” He quickly pulled out his phone and tried reading the schedule until he found the arrival time. Ah...10 m-minut(minutes).

The old lady reacts with mixed feelings “Автобусы в этом городе - абсолютный мусор! почему мне нужно так долго ждать, чтобы поймать автобус? Я должен был взять такси, но они, вероятно, смогли бы деньги, потому что я ничего не понимаю ... отвратительно !!” she once again bombarded him with her russian so it caught his attention as she demanded eye contact.

Niv could only raise his hands slightly and saying “S-sorry...” over and over,trying to pacify her.

“Эй, ты не ждешь этого автобуса?” She gestures with her head that Niv should look behind him.

“Hm?” As Niv turns around,he sees the bus he was waiting for is already being boarded and it’s completely packed and the doors close. “No wait!! Driver,Open the door!!” Niv knocked on the door.

The driver simply shrugged his shoulders since he was over capacity and just drove. Niv tries to bang on the door as he followed it but ultimately trips over by putting his foot in a rut,causing his bag to fall. From his shoulder.

“Ahh...that hurts….but at least my bag is alri-“ Niv barely finished his sentence as a car runs over his bag smashing it’s content.

Niv got irritated as he pulled his leg out of the rut and sat on the sidewalk ledge. “Blyad'.” Niv muttered in frustration as the lady reactions with shock by covering her mouth.

Niv was able to board another bus after he waited a while longer due to traffic. It took him another 30 minutes to reach the bus stop that’s adjacent to the school grounds,once he dropped off the bus he sprinted towards the school gate but as he ran towards it ,The guard slowly closed off the gate.

“W-w-wait,don’t close the….” Niv pleaded the guard but his pleas fell on deaf ears, the guard closed the gate just as he reached it. “Gate…”

“sorry,kid. The principle said to close the gate at exactly 8:00. No ifs or butts. If you want in,I will have to get a note from the secretary.” The guard said apathetically.

“listen,i had a really shitty morning. Can’t you make an exception just this one time?” Niv tried to protest, perhaps reaching out to the guard’s juvenile heart.

“I feel you, I had a shitty morning too.” The guard sheds a tear. “I woke up.” he said in a monotone voice. He then reaches for his station’s phone and calls up the secretary. “Hey Miriam. I am sending a tardy kid to your office.”

“Oh great…” Niv sighs.

After given permission to enter the school grounds,he does a walk of shame to the secretary’s office. Where he got a tardy note. He was then instructed to return to his classroom.

“This sucks.” Niv complaint as he walked to class. “First I had my breakfast ruined,then I was late for school and then I got a bloody lecture,let’s hope the rest of the day will go-” He proceeds to open the door to his classroom where everyone were already in attendance and were just staring at him as he grabbed everyone’s attention. Probably because he looked so dirty and messy. “nicely…”

Niv tired to make his way to his seat as quietly as possible while his teacher continued to scrawl things on the board. Suddenly his teacher stops his writing on the board as he turns to address him. “

“Good morning,Niv. Nice of you to join us.” His teacher,Moses called out his tardy student.

Niv rubbed the back of his head apologetically. “Sorry for being late. It was a...rough morning.”

His teacher raised his brow as he wanted to doubt his student but considering the state of him,he knew he wasn’t lying per say. “Very well. Take your seat and open your book at page 117.”

“Okay.” Niv slowly makes his way to his seat as everyone’s eyes peered through him.

“Also,Niv,see me after school” His teacher continued. Causing the students to laugh at Niv’s expense.

“ Ah...Alright..” Niv slumps his head as he gets back to his seat. Trying to pull out his book but even the book was badly damaged because of the car that ran it over,causing Niv to frown.

He feels a gentle tap on his shoulder from the student from the desk beside him. As he looks to his side, Ana a class made of his drawn his attention. She was a childhood friend of his, she had long straight blonde hair. Wore red framed glasses and a black sweater with white pants, nothing too out there but she was known for being a girl who likes fashion and accessories.

“Hey,I will share my book with you.” Ana whispered to Niv as she saw the contents of his bag was in ruins.

Niv nods as he sits beside her and scans the subject on the board and immediately gets pissed off. “Ugh, Bible lesson...why did he have to start with that?”

“I will let you copy what he wrote later. Just pay attention for now.” Ana told Niv off to be quite, he shouldn’t draw any more attention onto himself.

Niv sighs as he scoots next and just leans on his table as his hand holds his cheek. The teacher goes on and on for the next hour about Biblical study material.

Time went by as the noone break came about. Niv took out his wallet in order to buy a sandwich from the vending machine at the school ground. He then proceeds to sit on a close by bench with that was protected by a tree, good enough to give him shade from the ending of winter heat and from the pre spring rain. he tries to open the sandwich bag with little success as he grows more and more irritated from it.

“This bites,Today is just not my day...Ugh.” Niv mummers to himself as he applies more force to his hands.

Ana walked towards him as she looked frustrated with what she saw. “If you do it any rougher you will rip it apart and it will fall on the floor. Give it here.” Ana snatches the bagged sandwich from his hands.gently opens it and hands it to him. “Here you go.”

“Thanks…” Niv reluctantly accepted the open sandwich bag as he took a bite out of it immediately. “Oh man,I’m starving!”

“It’s all about the grip,not the strength you put in your hands.” she flexed her arms accordingly.

“I guess, I just don’t feel today is going my way. I just want to pass out or something.” Niv leans on the bench as he slowly eats his sandwich.”

“At least sit right when you do,you’ll choke.” Ana told Niv off.

“But I said I wanted to pass out. Choking would help.” Niv half jokingly said something rather insane.

“You just need to get a grip. Life can come at you hard,especially hard if you keep flunking your grades.” Ana hits Niv’s head with her notebook as the tone went from chipper to more admonishing. “I can’t stomach tutoring you if you ain’t going to put your energy into it.” she sighed to herself as if she is dealing with a hopeless case.

“Well I just don’t get the whole point of studying hard. But I also don’t know what I want to do,so I can’t get motivated.” Niv shuffles his feet in irritation childishly,Niv always had a problem focusing on things growing up so setting on his mind on something and keeping at it wasn’t his best strength.

“Well, is there anything that actually interests you?” Ana asked pesemisstily.  
“Iunno…” Niv shrugged.

“God,You’re hopeless.” Ana raised her voice. “So you don’t want to go to an academic field so how about you just get a certification for something and just save up money until you know what you want.”

Niv groans but he can’t find it in himself to accept what she said either.acting like an infant.

“But if you want people to take you seriously you need good grades,People look at school performance at job interviews nowadays.” Ana shakes her head.

As Ana and Niv bickered,someone sneaked up from behind Niv and poked his waist. Causing him to yell “What the--?!” like he just .

“See,Ana? Ain’t nothing to worry about. He is just cranky.” it was Segev, the last member of the childhood trio, sure he came along a bit later than Ana but he was an important member of the gang nonetheless.

“Oh god,Segev...you nearly gave me a heart attack.” Niv placed his hand on his heart,monitoring his heart beats as he felt his heart was about to explode.” Why do you keep doing this?”

“Cuz it’s always so fun to mess with you,dude.” Segev said in jest but it didn’t cheer Niv in the least. “Come on. Ana is worried about cuz you ain’t been doing nothing about your school life. “ segev pointed at Niv with an accusatory finger. “She is probably worried she would graduate without her cru- “

Ana decides to preemptively punch Segev in the gut in order to stop his nonsense. “H-hardly. I just want Niv to do well because we are friends. Why you gotta turn friendship for romance, Segev? “ Ana asked Segev as she gave him another kick.

“I just think if he had a girlfriend like you,he would actually straighten up or something.” he rubs his head as if he admitted a crime. Segev is awfully blunt but he never means anything he said in a bad way but people can easily take offense to what he says.

“Yeah yeah,keep such wild suggestions to yourself.” Ana brushed off Segev’s stupid remarks as if they were dust in the wind.

“Sorry sorry,but maybe Niv is a more of an artistic guy? He can try painting or-- hey, how about you try acting? Maybe a show like the Unyieldi-”

Niv glares at Segev for even speaking about it. Which causes Ana to drag Segev away and whispers to him. “Do you really have no tact? Did you lost it? Left it at home perhaps?”

“What did I say?” Segev asked quizzingly as if he didn’t know why that show’s name is such a taboo.

“That’s the last thing he needed to hear. The show and industry usually brings up bad memories,you dunce!” Ana lectured Segev.

“A-ah!” Segev turns to Niv. “I-i’m sorry man,I didn’t mean it like that.” Segev laughed nervously.

“ ...It’s fine...Just drop it.” Niv decided it will be better off to end the conversation there because Segev is a airhead. One thing goes from one ear and goes to the other. It wasn’t the first time he forgot about it so Niv just understands that Segev will just remember what catches his attention from time to time, so it’s futile to hold a grudge against him.

Niv checked his clock as he saw break time was nearly over, so he got up from the bench and started to slowly go to class. His friends followed suit.

“So what’s our next class?” Niv asked the both of them.

Before Ana could answer him, A small commision was happening by the entrance to the school building. A Jock was playing around with his Posse,making noise like they own the place.

“Hey,isn’t that Tom?” Segev asked as if a herbivore saw it’s natural predator.

“Ugh, yeah. He thinks just because he is popular and on the athletic team means that he can act like a jerk.” Ana’s gut reaction to see the jock was nearly vomit inducing. “I hate his kind.”

“Well he is really good. So good in fact,the competitions he is in rake money for the school.“  
Segev enviously remarked at the untouchable student.

A 7th Grader walked towards the direction of Tom’s posse while reading his book. And he bumped into Tom because he wasn’t paying attention.

“S-sorry…” The 7th grader apologized once he realized what he did.

“Watch it,nerd!” Tom forcibly bumps back into the 7th grader,causing him to fall down and scatter all of his stuff on the floor. Tom stands in place. laughing at him at the smaller figured child in front of him.

Niv’s nerve started to boil as he started stomping towards the both of them “Hey Tom!” Niv shouted at him.  
“Niv, don’t!” Ana protested Niv’s recklessness.

“You didn’t have to do that.”Niv tries to tell him off as he kneels down to help the kid off the floor.

Tom simply laughs. “Well,he was in my way so it happened by accident,right guys?” His Posse nods in agreement like some sort of single celled organism.

Niv simply scoffs. “I didn’t know all your workout routines included inflating your ego.”

Tom’s face is painted red as he steps up to Niv, towering above him slightly. “Ho ho~ big words tough guy. But do you think you can BACK IT UP.”

Tom grabs Niv by the collar and pushes Niv to the wall. Niv groans from the impact but he couldn’t even hear himself as Tom’s Posse starts changing FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

Moses Who happen to have been passing by noticed the commotion and started running towards them. “What is going on here?“ He asked the three boys as he saw Tom pinning Niv to the wall and third kid standing still.

Tom was smiling smugly as he pushed Niv to the side and makes him fall on the floor. “ Nothing,We were just practicing tackles.”

“Just get out of here you two. Go to your classes.” Their teacher leaves with a frustrated look on his face,making shoo motion with his folder as he didn’t want to deal with Tom and whatever was happening.

Tom scoffed at Niv. “You didn’t even struggle. Talk about weak.” He walks away from the scene laughing to himself as his Posse accommodates him.

“Guys like him really piss me off.” Segev kicks dirt under his feet in frustration.

“He only hurt my pride so it’s business as usual for me.” Ana approaches Niv too and she gives him a hand so he can get up. He takes Ana’s arm and gets up.

“They probably won’t do a whole lot to him because his winnings gives our school some major money. Also his dad is the Inspector General of Police. Guy got it good.” Segev did an annoyed Tsk because the teachers won’t teach unruly students either way.

“Whatever…” Niv cleans himself by smacking his clothes clean from any dirt. He then up to the kid Tom bullied and helps him pick up all of his stuff. “You okay?”

“I guess,I’m used to it.“ The kid sulked as he took the things from Niv.

“Well,try to be careful when you read your books. You might bump into someone again or hurt yourself for real.” Niv tried to cheer him up by patting him on the back.

“Duh…” The kid laughs to himself,or rather at himself? “I just wish someone would take him down a notch. I hate bullies. They made my life hell for no reason other their pleasure.”

“Yeah, it just looks like he HAD to flex in front of his friends,show them he is in charge.” Niv looked away feeling the same as the kid. Bullies are commonplace in school so there is no escaping them.

“I wish I was strong enough to beat him…” The kid walks away feeling dejected.

“Do you know that kids name,Niv?” Segev asked his friend an obvious question.

“N-no, I don’t know any juniors.” Niv answered honestly.

“I think his name was Shoham,he has a sister in our class I think.” Ana answered with an informative piece of info.

“Do you think we should talk to her?” Niv asked them both if that was the right thing to do, tattle on her bros situation.

“I don’t think we should, he should either do it himself or stand up for himself.” Ana answered coldly, school is a scary place but he needs to learn to fend for himself.

“Wow,Ana, Winter Shoulder much?” Segev asked her as he acted like he was freezing.

“What’s wrong with that? I grew up with 3 older brothers who were also bullies. I learned to stand up for myself because they were jerks. And that goes to you too Niv!” Ana directed the conversation towards him

“M-me?” He pointed to himself with surprise.

“Yeah.” Segev said. “You should have struggled a bit,Y’know? If anything you showed him you’re easy picking.”

“But I don’t believe in violence. And if anything,I would get the blame for it if he gets hurt.” Niv shrugged as he believed he did nothing wrong.

“That sounds like defeatism to me.” Ana bluntly interpreted his actions as such. “ You just don’t want to fight because it’s a bother.”

“Maybe. I just can’t stand knowing I could hurt someone.” Niv shrugged comically but his voice was tinted with a bit of sorrow in it. Which caught his friends off guard.

Later on that day, The School bell has ringed, which symbolized the end of the school day. But Niv couldn’t have gone home just yet, His teacher insisted that he would stay over after classes were done.

“I wanted to talk to you one on one because your grades have been failing, I see your motivation for your studies is falling behind and I am most of all concerned about your well being. Is there something you would like to talk to me about?“ Moses laid up all the facts on the table. Niv isn’t doing well and it has become a cause for concern.

“Well… “ Niv thumbles his fingers around searching for words. “Would it be cliche to say I have no idea what I want?” Niv tried to answer as bluntly as possible.

His teacher signs but focuses his efforts once more. “Well,no one your age has a grasp of what they are doing or want to do. They merely have goals.“ Moses answered directly.” Students don’t really know anything so they just set their goals according to their likes and grades.: No one really wants, they are simply told what to do and get validated until they do know what they want.”

Niv scratched his head with annoyance. “Listen,I don’t know what I want to do,I can’t even wrap my head around school either.”

“Yes,it’s something I started to see since your classmates already show interest in some fields yet you didn’t even express interest in admitting to a college.” Moses leans himself forward towards Niv as he chooses his words carefully. “ When was the last time you got diagnosed?”

“Only around last year to see if I needed help with tests.” Niv leaned back to avoid his teacher’s face.

“Have you seen a counselor or therapist in the past or have considered doing so in the future? Are you looking after your mental health?”

“N-no. I haven’t seen a therapist at all.” Niv answered meekly. Feeling pressured by those questions.

“Perhaps you should consider the option. I will also talk about it with your legal guardian.” His teacher concluded as he started to pack up his things for the day until he remembered something else to ask. “By the way was there a reason you didn’t use any of your books today? You kept borrowing books from Ana.” He raised a brow as he demanded an answer from his student.

“M-my bag fell and got run over while I was on my way to school…” Niv looked away as he felt embarrassed. A handful of people already saw him in the morning and he didn’t want others to know any more than they have to.

“I see, I will ask and see if i can get you new books while we’re at it. That’s it for today.”

The two adjourned for the day. Niv needed to go home as soon as possible before his aunt would have a melt down.

Niv has made his way outside the school grounds until he saw that his way is blocked by Tom again.

“What do you want?” Niv asked with a bothered tone. He didn’t have any time for Tom’s ego play.

“We didn’t really finish what we started at noone.” Tom answered as he cracked his knuckles.

“I don’t have time for your nonsense, bye.” Niv sighed as he tried to get away but Tom’s well built arm stopped him.

“You,didn’t hear me? We weren’t finished. You dissed me in front of my friends and I got to make an example out of you.“ Tom continued as he pushed Niv back.

“It just sounds like you’re afraid people would think you’re weak--”

Tom tackled Niv to the ground and starts punching with his fists. Niv tried to shield himself but it didn’t really help.this went on for a good minute or so and Tom got up and dusted himself,feeling dissatisfied with the beat down.

“You’re such a damn wimp, didn’t your parents teach you to fight? Oh wait, they can’t.” Tom kicks Niv in the stomach and walks away.

Niv coughs to the point he draws a little blood from his mouth but he reluctantly tries to get back on his feet while he breathes heavily.

“You seriously didn’t put up a fight?“ A voice came from behind Niv. he quickly turned around to see that the kid from lunch break, Shoham was standing behind him.

“Oh it’s you,Shoham. And yeah,I didn’t.” Niv waved at him weakly as he rubbed the pain in his stomach away.

“You just let him beat you up, why?” Shoham asked a question but the way he expressed himself felt as if he demanded an answer.

Niv sighed. “I just don’t believe hitting him back would solve it. If anything it would make it worse. I just feel like if i should act, then it should have more meaning to it.” Niv looked at his chafed palm and simply grasped it.

“It would be worse either way!” Shoham exploded. “So why not just be a winner and show him he can’t touch you or anyone?” Shoham storming off as he is frothing with anger.

“I guess you’re right but…” Niv rubbed his head as he figured out an answer. “But I would rather not stoop to his level.” He laughed to himself as if he thought he sounded cool.

“Wow,he was right. You just like to talk big…I shouldn’t have trusted my instincts to follow you.” Shoham bumps into Niv roughly as he started making his way from school.

Niv could only look at the kid throwing a tantrum at a distance as he dusted himself off and went to the bus station.

After a 20 minute ride,Niv finally made his way back home. Today was just awful so he just wanted to go to bed. He sighs as he goes through his house’s gate. The place he calls home is his aunt's house. He has lived with her ever since his parents passed away and they got this house which can accomodate all of their needs. Sadly it’s a high maintenance house so in order to afford it, Yona needs to work around the clock to make due,which it would be better if they just move to a different apartment or something but Yona keeps insisting on staying. you can say she perhaps grew attached to this place or she is just stuck up and prideful since she promised she can do it.The orange skies that illuminated the sky gave the house a rather cozy atmosphere to it as the sun is slowly setting down.

“I’m home.” Niv said as he opened the door. “Yona, are you home?”

He walked into the living room as he heard Yona was talking to someone, the conversation was rather heated so he decided to peek.Yona was sitting on the living room’s table as a man in a black suit sat in front of her he looked shrewd and conniving yet stressed out as he tried to talk to her about something.

“Listen, I told you guys a thousand times! A THOUSAND TIMES. We don’t want anything to do with the Roei’s productions. Was my lawyer’s instructions not clear enough?” A voice of an older woman echoed from the living room to the corridor. Apparently some sort of argument is going down there.

“W-well the instructions you given your lawyer to give my employer is to not bother you until Niv’s coming of age which is VERY soon. So I was told to speak to him prior production begins in hope to enlist him ahead of time. My boss was adamant about it.” A voice of a rather squirmy man conversed with the woman, he sounded very adamant considering his tone of speech. Pesky to an annoying degree.

“W-E-L-L you can tell your boss he can SHOVE the unyielding lion up HIS unyielding ass. HE’S STILL 17.” The woman sounded like she was entering her tipping point. And by the looks of it, the conversation isn’t going anywhere.

“W-well it is a shame I got a no. HOWEVER,I was instructed to leave here a sample of the transformation toy.”

“You might as well take it with you because we don’t want it.” Answered dejected as she rejected the parcel.

The man flinches as he starts to sweat buckets. “N-no can do. It is a confidential product so I can’t keep it with me. It must reach him. Company policies.”

You people and your stupid policie. *Yona rubs his eyes as she tries to calm herself*

“What’s going on?” After a long time listening, Niv decided to finally enter the living room.

Yona and the man in the suit suddenly became silent. But the man fixed his collar as he turns to Niv with a smile that can look as borderline ecstatic.

“Greetings,Niv. How are you?” The man in the suit as he walked up to Niv.

“ I’m okay,But who are you?” Niv looks at Yona while he is confused.

“Are you certain? You look a tad bruised?” he adjusted his glasses. “Anyway I have come to speak with your aunt regard the participation of a a new project out of the sheer respect of your parent’s legacy. But I know she refuses as bad blood has accumulated between you two and the production company through the years. However, since the project we want you to participate in will happen once you are at the legal age of 18. I have come to notify you in advance about the process and has even prepared a prototype of the toy that will be used in the show. It is for your eyes only and if you will post it online we will know it was you. However, you may fiddle with the toy as it is your property and I will contact you directly once you can decide for yourself. But now I must bid you goodbye.Here is our company business card.”

The man slips the card into Niv’s hand that says “Roei Studio Talent Recruitment Agent,Benjamin Choldai and it included his number and various details..

“My name is Benny Choldai.Thank you for your time,Mrs.Yona,and thank you for the tea.”

The man placed a small box in Niv’s hands as he exits the house.  
Niv could only have looked puzzled by the man’s elongated introduction speech but he snapped out of it as Yona raised her voice.” Niv! Lock the damn door, I don’t want any visitors after this creep showed up.”

“R-right.” Niv promptly closes the entrance door behind him and comes back to living room. As he drops his backpack by the living room’s door.

“Well,don’t you look like shit, had a fight?” Yona asked as she smashed her cigarette into the ashtray.

“Yeah.” Niv answered.

“Did you lose?”

“Yeah.” answered in defeat.

“Get the first aid kit after you get me some coffee. I need it after he talked my head off for half an hour before you showed up.” Yona ordered her nephew to treat her before she treated him.

Niv silently agreed as he placed the box he was given on the counter while he started boiling the water in the kettle.

“Half an hour? What did you guys even talk about?“ Niv asked curiously.

“Ugh,I don’t even know. He just kept mouthing off and i could barely keep up.It felt like he was nervously reciting a promotional pitch or something and kept tumbling with his words.All i got was that RoeiPro wants you to appear in a show because you are Arieh’s son. For some reason they couldn’t settle for another actor or something. It has to be you.” she mimicked the man’s mannerism to mock him

“I guess he struck a nerve huh?” Niv said it as if it was expected.

“Yeah, HE completely ignored your mom and just kept talking about your dad. I liked your dad but I just CAN’T stand hearing about him in past tense anymore. And it feels like NO ONE is talking about my sister. They are talking about HIS wife ...or Swallow.” She crossed her arms with a frustrated “hmph!”

“Well,it was one of the reasons we cut ties with them.”

“Well. it was more like I just did it because I felt they could try to rile up your dreams. I just wanted you to have a normal and drama free childhood.” Yona explained her actions as she dumped the ashtray’s contents to a bin beside it before lighting up another cigarette.

“Well, look how that turned out.” Niv answered her as dry as the Yehuda desert.

Niv filled a plastic cup with turkish coffee powder and then added water once the kettle finished heating up. “Here you go. One butz.”

“Ugh,thanks.” she took a sip from it. “Finally, some good coffee...Listen,your teacher called an hour ago. He said you were slacking off.” Yona changed her talking tone from a cool aunt to a pissed off parent.

“Oh,I got late because of a mishap.“ Niv tried to explain today as a simple bad stroke of luck

“Yeah,he just started asking me crap about your upbringing since it looks like he is suspecting you are living in shitty conditions. I am working myself to the BONE to make sure you can have all you need. It’s the least I can do until you are independent or have to relocate after enlisting. But you gotta take your studies more seriously. Studying again after you finish your service just to meet university’s expectations is going to steal a lot of time and money off your hand. I am speaking from experience.

Niv slowly walks towards the couch as he brings the first aid kit. “I know but..I honestly don’t give a shit about what I study. It’s all bullshit.” Niv complained since he felt burdened with all of this mess that’s called high school. He then proceeds to sit down as he braces for the burning pain.

“Hey,it might be bullshit. But it’s a shitty way to a decent paycheck once you graduate from a good college.” she takes the kit from him and opens it up. Preparing a cotton ball with a bit of disinfectant spray on it and then begins to apply it on his face. “Did he hit you anywhere else beside the face?”

“Ow...a bit on the chest.” Niv moans.

“Who was it this time?”

“It was Tom.” Niv confessed.

“The Inspector General’s kid? What did you do to piss him off?”

“He tackled a younger kid during the break. Tried to tell him to step off but he just hit me after school because his friends were watching.”

“Well,be careful with them rich boys. To them appearance can be everything. But it would have been much better if you’d actually earn these bruises rather than take them for free.” Yona applied an intangible blow to Niv by telling him to stop being a pansy.

“Are we going to have this conversation again?” Niv sighed in frustration.  
“Nah,I gave up after the 300th time.” Yona said in a tired voice. “And you’re not a kid so you just gotta deal with your cards.” she applies the bandaid on his bruises “Well, at least now you won’t have an infection. I am going to start making dinner,so you should take a quick shower and come on over.”

“Riiiiight.” Niv answered obediently as he poked his bandages a bit.

“Oh,and put that thing in your room or the trash, I don’t want to see it.” She points to the package on the table with disgust.

Niv takes the package with him upstairs to his room and throws it onto his bed. As the box hits the mattress he hears a clicking noise from the package.

“D-did I break it?” Niv cautiously positions the package upwards and uses a Utility Knife to cut the duct tape from the package until he sees the interior. A small black box in the midst of all the packing peanut.The black box was the size of a forearm. Niv carefully removes the black box and opens the cover. Revealing a metallic left handed Lion shaped bracer. The bracer had a fine and esoteric design to it. Ergonomic and smooth to the touch, but sizable. Niv could only examine it while looking confused.

“This doesn’t look like a any other toy I saw before. Are they going for a high detail props? Like it feels massive. Even compared to the bricky toys my dad got me.”

Niv innocently puts the bracer on his left arm and it felt comfortable wrapped around his wrist.

“Wow,this is some high grade stuff.. Pretty remarkable. Hm?” The Bracer starts to tighten a bit around Niv’s hand. “That’s strange but did it suddenly wrap up around my arm?” Niv tries to remove the bracer but with little success. “I-it’s not coming off? What the hell.”

He tries to apply more force to it but the bracer fixed hold on the arm starts to hurt him. “Ugh...maybe I guess I might be one size too big.” Niv said dejectedly as he realized this is suppose to be a kid’s toy.

Niv enters the bathroom and starts to pour soap onto his arm and tries to slip it off,but sadly,no dice. He tries to even separate his skin from the bracer however the bracer persistently gripped his arm and skin, leaving no space between them

“Yona! Can you bring me some lubricant?” Niv called for his aunt to help him out.

Yona approached the bathroom’s door suspiciously. “Usually teens are shy about their mast-”

“I’M NOT DOING THAT. JUST GIVE ME SOME OIL.” Niv yelled out in embarrassment.  
Several minutes pass as he tries to remove the bracer from his hand. He tries to remove it using oils and lubricants. His aunt even tries to help him pull it out but to no avail. It just won’t budge. Niv persistent in trying to remove the toy for about an hour until he gave up and decided to take a shower for now. He slumped in the bathroom tub with a sullen expression.

“This sucks.This toy looks like one of those Chinese Finger Traps except it’s just an inconvenience...slightly..Guh.” Niv slumps himself entirely into the tub, submerging everything beside his face.

“I should probably go to the studio and complain. There isn’t even something remotely looking to a...clasp-” While he examined his arm as the bathroom’s fluorescent lighting shined from above. A tint of red started to glow up inside the bracer. But it quickly diminished. Making Niv show further discomfort.

Eventually Niv finished his shower and came down the stairs fully to eat his dinner as he sees Yona setting up the table.

“Did you get it off of you?” She asked if her nephew actually was successful for once.

“I wish, it’s just stuck there.” He brandishes it to show her as he answers.

“ It’s like a huge Chinese Finger Trap, but totally defeats the purpose of a Chinese Finger Trap by only being a mild inconvenience at best.” Yona said something awfully familiar.

“Y-yeah,I kind of thought the same thing. I just never seen anything like it. It doesn’t even look like a toy, more like a stage prop someone thought it would be a good idea to put glue in it.” Niv continued to examined it, closing one eye as he tried to look intensely at it.

“Yeah no kidding.” she takes his arm to examine the toy. “If this was a toy then it would be child sized,and would probably have a battery pack space and a manual. The only thing Lion-ish about it is the logo and worse yet, it doesn’t even look like THE lion.” she sighed as she let go of his arm to put some food on their plates.

“ I just need to go see to the studio tomorrow morning and ask them to take it off of me.”

“Oh no you don’t. You will do it after school.” used her parental voice to tell him off.

“What?” Niv slams his hands on the table in surprise.

“MANNERS!!” Yona shouted as she was surprised by his behaviour.

“S-sorry,but what do you mean after school? I can’t go like this to class.” Niv whined as he felt people would laugh at him.

“Your teacher told me you need to improve your attendance and grades so I need you on your best behaviour. “ Yona pointed her ladle at him as if he has no say in the matter.

“Well you’re not the one who has a prop stuck on her hand…” he tried to argue back because it’s easy for her to talk.

“Save it.” she put the ladle away from his face. “Look,I know me being busy with work kind of got me neglectful with supporting you so I will try to talk to my boss and see if I can have more day shifts so I can be there for you more, let you save time you spend on making food,errands and chores go to your studies.“ she put her hand on his to try to talk more on his level,she knows he is a troubled teenager and she wants to support him now.

“Yeah but wouldn’t it be tough?” Niv asked sincerely. “You worked night shifts and overtime to meet month’s end. Wouldn’t it be harder on you?”

“Maybe but if I can help family when in trouble then I am fine with that” she gave a smile that can put a pop star to shame. “If a plus in the family means a minus in the bank then I can handle it. “

“Oh...Thank you.” He rubbed his shoulder “I can’t say anything when you put it like that.”

“Yeah, you’re the only thing I got left from sis. So like it or not I want you to make something out of yourself. So after you’re done eating we will be revising your material!” She flexed a muscle to get herself pumped up.

“I figured.” Niv grumbled as he started eating his food.

Later that evening,Niv scanned his notes with an intense expression as Yona tried to best to go through the material with him.

“I don’t get ANY of it.” Niv grumbled as he puts the notes down.

“Well, I hardly think we would get anywhere today but i’ll be damned. You REALLY neglected studying. We will continue after you get back from the studio.”

Niv surrenders an agreement.

“Great,good night.” Yona left the room and turned off the light.  
“Wanting to change and actually doing it are two different things…” He picks up a pillow and smothers himself a little. “I guess I will ask Ana tomorrow..”

Niv slowly drifts into slumber as his left hand rests on the bed in a relaxed manner. To which,the bracer started to glow as it got turned on,emitting a small but gentle whirl.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

♌  Chapter 2 10 years later-a yielding lion part 2  ♌

Niv barely slept at night due to his new found restlessness composed from what happened yesterday with the contraption placed on his arm. but thanks to Yona’s decision to intervene in Niv’s day to day life she woke him in a proper hour to make sure he won’t be late for the first period. One can assume her little talk with his homeroom teacher had a hand in this. Niv didn’t even doubt the fact things will be getting stricter from now on,which made him kind of miss the freedom he had beforehand but he accepted his fate the moment Yona made him omelette for breakfast. Perhaps it was good to exchange his freedom.

  
“Alright,Yona I am about to head out. Bye.” Niv bid his aunt goodbye after eating breakfast,he prepared his bag and was about to head out before Yona stopped him.   
  
“Where are you going?” Yona stands indomitable between him and the door.   
  
“The bus? Like I always do.” Niv answers with a very matter of fact tone.

“You’re not taking the bus. I called Ana’s dad and he will take you two to school.”

“Ugh,How did you convince him? You know her dad doesn’t like me.” Niv shivers in shock after 

Hearing her plan,how come she didn’t tell him about it beforehand? He could have avoided him altogether.

“It’s true that he is still miffed about  _ that  _ ,but that was a long time ago.I managed to get him to agree,reluctantly,very reluctantly. So just be on your best behaviour and don’t do anything to make him upset. You know he is a hardass like that.”

“Yeah,since he is a Police Investigator.They are all hardasses.” Niv shrugs as he moves his eyes to the side,trying to hide his distaste for meeting with her dad but he knows there is no avoiding it.

“Listen,I know you don’t like it but we got to use everything we can to help you.” Yona tidies up his clothes as he made no effort to make himself decent looking when he dressed himself up. “You just put up with it until you make some progress. The moment we see you are back on track,we can dial it back since you will be able to manage on your own. But until then your aunt will do her best to make sure you are on the right track. The change needs to come from the inside.”

She ruffles his hair to tease him,he gently pushes her back with a gentle “stop.”

“I think we will take you to the barber shop later this week, your hair is a mess.”

“But I like it that way. It has flair!”

“A messy hair won’t get Ana to notice your charms.” She armlocks Niv’s head and begins to rub her knuckles against his head.   
  
“Nooo,stop!” Niv’s objections turned a bit more vocal since he was always powerless to resist her minor bullying.   
  
While they were being playful,a car horn was pressed outside the home.

“Oh,your ride is here. Make sure you call me after you go to Roei Studio. I will make sure you will have dinner and a bath ready.” She flattens his hair to make sure it doesn’t look messy.

“Okay,bye.” Niv waved off to her aunt as he left through the door.

The moment Niv stepped out he saw Ana’s dad black car. The windows were tinted and the shine of the paint looked luxurious to an extent. The passenger seat’s window rolled down and Ana was there,smiling radiantly.

“Good morning Niv! How are you?”

“I-i’m good. How are you?” Niv’s eyes wandered from Ana to further back in the car to see her dad. A solid looking russian man with no hair but shares the same blue eye tint as his daughter. Anton was his name if he recalled correctly,but he always had a rough time with her dad. They just didn’t click at all and Niv could only think it was because he didn’t want Ana to hang around guys or worse,uneducated guys.

“Come on! Get in! We don’t want to be late.” she smirked as he invited him into the car. Niv isn’t used to expansive car rides so he gently opens the door and seated himself,buckling himself as if to not draw attention to himself.

Her father looks back at him using the mirror view but adjusted it so he will see the road instead and began driving.

“I am so glad your aunt called us,Niv. I know you had it rough but we all agreed to help you out. Right dad?”

“Yes. thrilled.” Anton wasn’t as thrilled as his daughter,you can either blame on pessimism or the fact he is driving.

“Did you order your new books already?” Ana asked as she turned her head to Niv.

“Moses said he will handle it. He didn’t say when it will be ready.” Niv’s answer is stiff as he made sure he was as clear as he could be,not to make her dad wary of him.

“Okay,then I can use the machine in the faculty office to copy my study notes and then study after school.”

“I uh..got plans after school.” Niv slumped his head,answering with humility.

“Oh. that sucks. When will you be free?”

“I don’t know. It’s up to them.”

“Who's them?”

“R-r….roei studios.”

“Roei studios? What do you need from them?

Her father scuffed loudly,interrupting the conversation.

“Dad! You promised not to say anything.”

“I didn’t say anything,I was clearing my throat.”

“You totally are! You’re putting shade.”

“I am not putting shade. I am just thinking if he is serious about studying then he doesn’t have to go to that make believe place and focus on his studies.”

Ana is arguing back to her dad,saying he is being rude and impolite. But Niv knew he was right. He shouldn’t be going to Roei studios but he kind of HAS to since the so called toy that got stuck on his arm still hasn’t come off yet. He used his fingers to trace the toy under his sleeve. He really didn’t want to come to school with it but he has no choice. 

The short car ride was pretty uncomfortable to all parties involved, no one said anything after the argument calmed down and he knew he had no means to argue back. Ana is a smart girl and her dad is a successful career man. He is failing his studies and his Aunt doesn’t have any meaningful qualifications.

The car eventually arrived at the school grounds and Ana quickly left the car with a solid “hmph!”, slamming the door. Niv gently unbuckled his safety belt and mouths off a small “Thank you” before exiting the car,but her dad stopped him.

“Don’t make my daughter help you for naught. I will hurt you if you hurt her.” Niv didn’t answer as he felt threatened,he simply nodded as he left the car.

He joined Ana as they started to walk together to the school gate.

“I am really sorry about my dad,he promised he won’t give us any trouble.” Ana sulks as she puts her hands together,asking for forgiveness.

“It’s fine,I didn’t exactly make myself trustworthy to him.”

“But that was forever ago,he is just being petty.” 

“I still feel bad about it.”

“And you’re being pitiful.” Ana raised her brow to Niv’s statement. “It wasn’t your fault and I stand by that.”

When they were kids,A really expensive family vase he brought from Russia was about to fall on Ana’s head but Niv pushed it away from her,causing it to break and shatter all over. It was a really priceless antique. The families agreed to let it slide since there was no ill will involved and Yona was turned down when she offered to pay for it. Since that vase was REALLY expensive. But from that day onward Niv didn’t come back to Ana’s house,mostly because her dad would stare daggers at him whenever he saw him. 

“Hey guys what’s going on?” Segev walked up from behind them and circled around to the front. Waving with enthusiasm. “Huh,I have never seen you two come to school together,you finally decided to go out?” Segev jeered at the two while making kissy faces.

“S-shut up!” Ana lifted her leg to kick his ass. “We just gave him a ride since his aunt asked us. It’s not always like that.” she dismissed the idea immediately.

“Yeah,yeah,you don’t have to kick me to explain yourself.” Segev rubbed his bottom to caress his pain. “You can go pro in Taekwondo and Capoeira with those kinds of kicks.”

Ana sighs as she just walks past Segev,feeling a little lost for words. “I really wish you didn’t exhaust me so easily,Segev,your jokes are really lame.”

“Ouch,that hurts Ana.” he playfully acts offended in order to coax a reaction out of her.

“Not as much as the next kick coming your way. Come on,the gate is about to close.” Ana shepherd the two into the school grounds but Segev grew nearer and nearer to Niv until he puts his arm on his friend and whispers to him.

“Is there seriously nothing going on between you two?” 

“No,why would there be anything?”

“I mean,come on,you two got some nice chemistry and she is very patient with you. You know she isn’t patient with ANYONE.”

“Well,if she decides to be nice to me that’s her own thing. I didn’t ask her to do it and besides,it just feels weird to see her as anything other than a friend.”

“Then it means I might have a chance.” Segev grinned.

“Wait,you like Ana?!” Niv nearly shouted but Segev closed his mouth with his hand.

“Shhhhh,but yes,I’ve liked her for a long while but I never had the courage to ask her. I want to ask her after the music concrete my band will do next month.” 

“Ohhh,so that’s why you keep teasing us?”

“I mean,a part of it. Since if you two do have a thing I would have backed down. But if you were to break up,I wouldn’t hesitate.”

“You’re kind of twisted,You know that?” Niv brushed Segev’s arm off.

“Love twists you up,my dude. All fair in love and war.” 

“Why are you two walking so slow? Come on let’s go.” Ana called out to them as she started to walk further and further from them.

“Anyway,don’t tell her squat. I want to really impress her by then.”

“Fine,good luck crashing and burning when you get rejected though.”

Segev walks away from Niv as he casually flips him the bird. Niv returns fire without a second thought.

\-----------------------

First period has begun without much of a fuss,Moses kept a close eye on Niv but he didn’t say anything to him as he went about to begin reading them material in class.

Niv had to continue sharing the material books with Ana as it was obvious that his toucher wouldn’t be able to prepare replacements in time.

It was all well and good until the contraption made a very muffled click. “Click?” Niv looked at his arm with curiosity as he saw a part of the bracer cut through the sleeve. A very noticeable metal piece peaked out of the hole that was made.

Niv rolled his sleeve slightly to see what was the deal and he noticed that the contraption opened up in the manner of speaking,the lion head which was closed was now agape as if it was roaring.

“How the hell did that happen,did I hit a switch?”

“Niv,I know my classes are boring but can you at least pretend to care?” We got exams coming and I don’t want to repeat stuff if I don’t have to.” Moses chastised Niv for being unattentive,making the entire class laugh.

“S-sorry.” Niv meekly answered.

As Moses went back to revise the material,Ana sneaked a peak on his arm and saw the contraption. “Hey,what’s that?”

Niv jerks in surprise from Ana leaning in,finally seeing the thing on his arm.

“Why are you being so nervous? Chill.” she raises her brow,unable to understand why he is being so frantic.

“I-it’s nothing.” Niv waved his hand,dismissing that the thing on his arm need any more attention than that was already drawn to it.

But just as he did,the contraption has started to make an obnoxious whirring noise. It was so apparent that even Moses turned around to see where it was coming from.

“What is this noise? I am giving the person doing that noise to stop it before I start sending people to the principal office.”

Niv did his best to muffle the noise best he could,wrapping the up his arm to just make it inaudible,hopefully.

Ana could only look at Niv trying to manage the situation while being oblivious to what’s going on,their eyes met and Niv could only smile and wave at her like a goof.

The awkward situation has went on until the morning break came,Niv took a moment to drink from the water fountain to try and not only hydrate himself but to elevate his frustration from trying to study and making sure he doesn’t attract attention onto his arm.

He would be the laughing stock of his school if people found out he was walking around with a toy on his arm.

“Hey Niv.” Ana walked up to Niv from behind. “You okay?”

“Yeah,I’m good. Why do you ask?” Niv answers as he wipes his mouth from the abundant water that hit his face.

“You sure? You kept acting really tense through classes, did you even listen to Moses’s lecture?”

“I did,somewhat?” He asks himself as if he isn’t sure of it either.

“Listen,I get you might be a little tense from the change you might be going through,catching up to your studies but things will get better,okay?”

“Yeah,uh...sure. Thanks Ana.” Niv as Ana’s concern reassured him that this is just a minor inconvenience, he will get rid of the toy later today and he can focus on his studies.

“Hey guys,what’s up?” Segev reared his head.

“Nothing much,Niv is just being stressed due to his studies.”

“Maybe it’s the hormones? Niv is a growing boy and all.”

Ana wanted to say something to tell Segev off but she paused for a minute,thinking. “Oh shoot,you might be right.”

“W-wait guys,it’s not THAT. I assure you.”

“Silly Niv,You might be shy to talk to Ana about it but you can tell me all about it. I know all about puberty. I looked it up online.” Segev wrapped his arm around Niv and winked at him.

“Yeah,I don’t think your browser history counts.” Niv slides from Segev’s chummy grip and deflects his mentorhood.

“I doubt Niv’s nads dropped yet, if he did he would have thrown a punch at me.”

It was on damn cue that Tom and his friends showed up.

“Oh bugger off,Tom. Did you had enough flexing yesterday?” Ana shooed him off.

“Yeah,not everything is about you,Tom,bugger off.” Segev joined Ana in dismissing him.

“Ain’t that a hoot? The Russia girl and the dread head protecting their little wimpy friend? Heart touching.” Tom does a demeaning heart shape with his hands. His posse goes “awww” to complement it while laughing.

“I don’t know if you guys know this but I made this school stay open. It’s thanks to me that all of two asswipes like you get to study with a pretty girl like Ana. if i didn’t bring the money by winning the basketball games you'd go to the run down school on the other side of town with no hope of getting anywhere in life. So how about a little respect?”

“Fuck respect,You do nothing but bully and boss people and you use your status to keep people quiet.

  
“Big talk from the little girl. But watch your mouth,I can get your dad fired if I wanted to.”

“Hey Tom,you made your point,you can diss me all you want but leave my friends.” Niv pushed his friends away and got closer to Tom,there was no reason to put them at risk of getting hurt if he was only after Niv alone.

“Sure,I don’t mind throwing a few punches at you again,I started to take on more boxing classes so now I throw a mean HOOK!!”

“--end”

Tom threw a surprise right hook at Niv but the punch never connected to Niv’s face.

“-fend”   
  
To everyone’s surprise,Tom’s hook was stopped by Niv’s left arm, the arm that had the contraption on it.   
  


“Ow! What the fuck? What is your arm made of titanium?” Tom yelled in frustration.

“I,uh…” Niv looked at his arm and thought to himself ‘I didn’t put it up.’ since his right arm was still lowered. If it was an instinct decision of the body then both arms would have been up. But this reaction seemed very automated and accurate.

“You just got luck!!” Tom throws another punch at Niv.,this time he could see it coming,very very slowly,but everything about Tom’s body movement indicated he was moving very very quickly.    
  
“-edend

There was a small buzzing noise Niv felt in his head ever since he threw the first punch but only after he started seeing the punch move so slowly.

“Defend”

He could hear it clearly. A tingling voice that buzzed in the back of his head kept nagging him as if demanding Niv would act to preserve itself, or something.

“What to do...I can’t just punch him.” Niv decided to merely dodge the punch’s direction since even if he could see the punch coming. He wasn’t moving any faster himself,but he still felt like he could dodge it with ease.

The moment Niv turned his body enough,he felt like his perception of time had started to return to normal. Since he was no longer in danger and as Niv’s moved from Tom’s punch made his way into a wall. Causing him to yell in pain.

“STOP. MOVING.” Tom demanded as his words whistled through his teeth.

“I don’t want to fight you Tom,please stop.” Niv tried to pacify the situation but it just made Tom angerier.

“I DON'T WANT YOU TO FIGHT BACK,I WANT YOU TO KNOCK YOU OUT!!”    
  
Tom has charged again towards Niv but this time the space was much smaller so he had even a hard time dodging him. Niv would have gotten hurt no matter what.   
  
But suddenly Ana came between them and she pulled her knee on high and made Tom clash against it. Causing him to stagger back.   
  
“H-how did…”

“I had siblings bigger than you,Jackass. I used to fight with them all the time. Not that anyone taught you how to take a hit,right?”

Ana’s words were harsh,extremely harsh. She might not over power him when it comes to strength but it really did look like she could kick his ass if he insisted on continuing like this.

The whole commotion has managed to gather a large crowd,kids from all over came to see what’s going on.

“Don’t humiliate yourself in front of everyone, it won’t look good on your social record.” Ana mouthed off as she dragged Niv along with her. Segev followed them and just mouthed off to Tom the word “Biotch” as he did obscure hand gestures.

Tom was left on the ground,foaming as he slammed the floor beneath him,causing the people around him to flinch “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!” his yell made the crowd disperse as his posse came to check on him but he just deflected their hands. “Let’s go ditch class,I want to eat something.” He ranted as he made his way to the gate,with his posse in tow.

\-------------------------------------------------------

The trio went to the other side of the school grounds to try to avoid any unwanted attention drawn to them. Segev just slumped on the bench and held his head in remorse. 

“Oh my god, we just made it to Tom’s shitlist,our school lives are practically over.” 

“Relax,he won’t touch us,not for a while. And he might even forget about it since he can just pick on anyone else he wants.”

“Like Shoham?” Niv asked.

“Who?”

“The kid from yesterday.”

“Yeah,sadly there will always be bullies and people who pick up on them.” Ana answered pessimistically while rubbing her knee. “God, that fucking hurt.”

  
“You gonna be okay? He did kind of threaten your dad there.” Niv looked down as he worried if what they did had larger repercussions.

“Eh,I doubt he would actually talk to his dad about my dad. And if his dad could even open his mouth,my dad will eat him up. No problems here.”

“Won’t your dad get mad since you went to a fight?” Segev entered the conversation.

“If anything my dad would be pleased I didn’t take a beating. Unlike a certain  _ someone. _ ”

“That was aimed at me,right?” Niv sulked.

“Kind of,yeah. I am just glad you didn’t get hurt,right? Do you need to see the nurse” Ana leaned down to look at his arm.

“N-no. I’m fine.!” Niv pulled his arm back. “Didn’t hurt one bit.”

“Your forearm got a direct hit. How are you not hurt?” Ana frowned as he dismissed her concerns.

“Segev.” Ana snapped her fingers.

“Yes ma’am!” Segev Saluted.

“Hold him for me.”

“Right away Ma’am!”

Segev grabbed Niv from behind by raising Niv’s arms above his head and looking Niv’s head with his arms.

“H-hey wait!” Niv struggled but to no avail,Segev’s grapple was perfectly made to detain wimps like him.

“Prisoner is ready.” Segev acclimated with enthusiasm.

“Very good. Now let’s see..”

Ana reached for Niv’s sleeve and pulled it back,revealing the weird object that was placed on Niv’s hand.

“What is this?” Ana poked it with her nails, it had made a very metallic sound,very cold to the touch.

“I-it’s something I was given yesterday. I don’t know anything about it beside the fact that it’s supposedly a toy prop for a show and I can’t get it off.” Niv confessed

“So this is what made the noise during class?” Ana inquired as she looked at it more thoroughly,inspecting the Lion insignia.

“Y-yes.” the held up lad admitting.

“How about you tell us everything from the start.”

Niv sighed as he began to retell the story of what went on as he came back home. How when he came home he saw his aunt argue with that man who called himself Benny and how that man left the toy prop in order to appeal to them but it got stuck on his arm with no probable way to remove it. He also explained his plan to go to Roei Studio later today to get help and have this toy removed.

“Wow,so that’s why you can’t study with me today. that’s just awful. But why won’t you just break the strap?” Ana asked with a perplexed expression. Feeling up the object a bit more,looking for anything that could seem like a latch or switch.

“As I said…” Niv reiterated. “the strap won’t separate from my skin so I would most probably injure myself. So Yona told me not to do it” he took his arm and showed them it won’t separate.

“Huh,to be honest, it sounds fishy to me. Box didn’t say anything or had any instructions and you just put it on your arm?” Segev reprimanded his friend by saying the obvious,Niv acted without thinking and now he is paying for it.

“Well...it just looked like a prop so I didn’t see the harm in it.“ Niv answered for reckless thinking while hanging his head. “I was used to getting toys like that as a Kid so I didn’t think twice.”

“Perhaps,but that guy sounded REALLY suspicious,Don’t you think?” Ana asked about the suspect in question.

“I mean,he was shady. But he isn’t the first agent from Roei to do that,but no agents visited us in forever. Niv stopped for a moment as he took out Ben’s business card. **“** You guys think it’s a stunt just to get me to go there?”

“That’s a good take on the situation.” Segev spoke out loud. “It’s nothing new companies do weird shit like ARGs or whatever just for hype. Want us to come with you? So you won’t sign any good deals and leave us for the rich lifestyle?” He asked as if he had a jealous look in his eyes.

“Come on dude…” Niv bumps Segev’s shoulder. “I don’t want any of that celebrity life. I’ve had enough of it already.” Niv tried to reassure his friends.

“Good,then you will have more time to work on your studies. Here you can have my notes.” Ana hands him a copy of her study note. “I don’t need it but you still need to bring it back sometime eventually.”

“T-Thank you.” Niv showed his gratitude as he took her notes and made a bow. “I will be sure to appease you later as tribute!” Niv referred to her as if she was a deity.

Ana could only laugh to herself with a “You better!” attitude. “But make sure you don’t burn all your day over there,I will ask you some questions to see if you looked at my material or not!”

As the bell ringed,signing the end of recess. Niv and Ana went back to class as Segev returned to his. Most of the day went uneventful,the contraption didn’t make any further inconveniences to Niv and he simply thought to himself that the battery just died or something.

Once school was finally over,Niv bid his friends farewell and took a bus to Roei Studios. 

The place was all too familiar to him and could easily find any places he wanted to because he was there on many occasions as a child. He made his way to the workforce reception where he could ask the lady in charge for details regarding the Talent Recruitment Agent that he met yesterday. She promptly gets on the phone with the department but quickly hangs up. **  
  
**

“We are sorry but there is no such person inside our Talent Recruitment Agency department.” The receptionist lady answered in a quick,efficient yet exhausted tone.   
  
“H-huh? There has to be some kind of mistake! The guy showed up yesterday at my house and gave me  _ this  _ business card and told me he was working for you guys.”

After examining the business card very briefly she answered,“I have been working here for years,Kid. And I don’t recall a man with such a name as Benjamin Choldai and neither does the department itself knows about such a person either. So unless you other business,appointments or actual complaints to genuine employees of the studio, then you will have to leave the premises.” she readied her hand over the “security intercom” to try and get rid of Niv as quickly as possible.

Niv was obviously pissed but he knew he couldn't talk back to her.”Ugh...fine. Good day… “ Niv walks away out of the entrance’s automatic doors as he pulls out his phone to call Yona, he listens to the ringing until she answers.   
  
“Hello,Niv?” Yona’s voice came out from the speaker as she called out to him.

“Something really weird just happened. Apparently there is no one by the name of Ben Choldai working at Roei…” Niv sighed as he stomps out of the studio.

“What? Are you kidding me?” Yona’s voice raised her voice to the point that the speaker began to peak.   
  


“NO,apparently,The Receptionist told me off by saying there is no nor ever was someone like this in the studio’s history. It’s like he doesn’t exist.” Niv started to project the same level of volume as he explained the situation to her.

“I always hated that Hag.” Yona sighs Heavily as she smacks her lips really loudly. **“** Alright,I will do some phone calls and get to the bottom of it. You just get back home and we will break it open somehow. “ 

“R-right.“ Niv hangs up the phone as he starts to talk away from the studio.

But unbeknownst to him,two figures were spying on him at a distance,one of them holding a pair of binoculars.

“The bracer he is wearing is already showing signs that he is ready to awaken.” The person who spoke was a young woman,with a white complexion and long blonde hair,she wore a black coat that went as low as her knees, which gave emphasis to her knee high boots.

her tone indicates she is not pleased with the situation at hand. “This is going to be harder than I thought, we should hurry.” She lowers her futuristic looking binoculars she looks at the person beside her. “ The radiation signals coming from him are still dormant so I might be able to reach him in time but I worry about the frequency of when the Bracer is attempting to wake up.”

“Since it didn’t wake up yet we can still obtain the bracer with as little fuss as possible?” The man beside her takes the binoculars from her and looks at Niv. 

The man had similar features to her,white skin, short blonde hair and equally concealing clothes,he was considerably older than his associate but his expression was laxer than hers.

  
“Little fuss?” She looks at him with astoundment due to his remark. “How do you suggest are approach him? Tell him that what he is wearing is dangerous and can possibly kill him?” She scoffed at the mere idea of what she said.

“We don’t need to tell him  _ anything _ .” He lowers the binoculars as he looks at her and pats her on the shoulder. “We can just knock him out.” he said plain and simple.

  
“And how do you suggest we do  _ that _ ? Spike his drink at a friday party? Use a Chloroform dosed handkerchief from behind? Hit him with a bat?” She asked him further with a more agitated tone.

Before answering, he took a small pause as he heavily consider their options. “The last two options are sufficient enough.” He replied without hesitation.

“Wh..how did you ever get into lawyer studies?” She asked him in utter disbelief.

“You’re missing the subject at hand.” he tried to change the conversations main point of interest. “We need to get results or else people’s lives will be at stake.”

“Ugh...you’re unbelievable…but do you think you can do it?”  She asked him in a dead serious tone.

“Wait,you’re on board with this?” He asked with surprise as if she was more ridiculous than him at that moment.

“ I am  _ considering _ our options.” she rubbed her temples as she snags the binoculars back.

“Well,he’s way younger than me so I can knock him out. If i used a pipe or something you’d have to call a hospital, I might hurt him pretty bad.” The man pridefully cracks his knuckles with a smile.

She looks at him with awe and shock. “Is...is that boasting I hear in your voice?”

“Again, we need results or else who will never recover dad’s stolen research assets.” He answered as if he is stating the obvious,they had a mission they must complete no matter what.

“True but to think Father would ask us to retrieve them personally of all things.” she said with bated breath. She spoke those words because she had her reservation regarding the situation.

“But we can only use deadly force if he “wakes up”. Until then we can’t use them. It wouldn’t feel right to kill an innocent life. Not if we have a choice.” The man beside her looked at the gun by his side,while nervous,he knew he couldn't falter.   
  
“I suggest we continue to track him for now. And retrieve the Bracer back to the box before it wakes up when we get the chance.” She grabs her Binoculars back as she continues to follow Niv’s movements.

While the two figures were watching his every move. Niv was leaving a convenience store after picking up some snacks before heading back home. 

“I need some sugar in my brain if Yona decides to study with me again.” He sighs to himself as he notices someone on the other side of the road.

“Hey isn’t that…” Niv tried to focus as he looked closely.

He saw the nervous man in the suit he met yesterday,Benjamin as he called himself, on the other side of the road,walking while he is breathing heavily and looking outright distraught.

“Hey..it’s that guy...Why does he look like he is sick? Hey you!!” Niv called out to Benjamin.

Benjamin reacts to Niv’s calling with a surprised expression as if he was startled half to death, which caused him to sprint into an alleyway.

“Hey wait!! I got a few questions for you!!” Niv starts to dash through the middle of the road,trying to get to him.

However,Benjamin does not listen to Niv’s words. And continues to run while dropping stuff on the floor in order to lose him. Niv jumps over any obstacles with ample success even if he nearly trips from the discarded items.

“Oh that is so cliche...STOP!!” Niv tries to order the escapee verbally but with little success. He follows Benjamin into an unfinished yet still functional parking lot. Niv tries to catch his breath since he is out of shape.

“W-why would he enter this building? Tch...what a pain.” After a few seconds of catching his breath,Niv continues to follow Benjamin inside into the parking lot.

Niv is slowly walking inside the neglected parking lot as he could only hear brief sluggish steps followed by moaning. He clears the ground level of the parking lot. And quickly went down the stairs for the bottom floor, He notices Benjamin dragging himself to the bottom floor while he is holding out a phone directly in front of his head..  
  
“ You _didn’t_ tell me this is what is going to happen! We had a deal!” Benjamin wheezed into the phone as he demanded an explanation.

“I am sorry Benji.” A voice of an older gentleman came out of the speaker. “But the plan has changed, we are going to have to put in the kibosh on your research.”   
  


“ No-nonononono!” Benjamin repeated himself in terror. “You...you told  _ me _ You will remove the Bracer once I delivered the package to the boy! That I can get back to the lab and resume my work on the prototype system.” 

“Who is he talking to? He was forced to give me this ``bracer''?`` Niv squinted his eyes as he noticed the man called Benjamin also has a Bracer on his hand, similar to the one he had. But the insignia was different. Instead of a lion,it had the shape of a water snake.

“Plans change,Benji,it is too early for them to find out what is going on,otherwise it will all fail and the Queen shall perish. Don’t worry about your research,we will put your work into good use. Your sacrifice will not be for naught.” The older man on the other side of the phone said with a despairingly hopeful voice. 

The man hung up the phone,leaving The distressed Benjamin to his misery.

“He-hey!! HELLO? HELLO?? AHHH,FUCK… “ Benjamin knocks a couple of planks before smashing his phone on the floor in frustration.

As Niv focused on the man he eavesdropped on with curiosity, his Bracer suddenly opened up, revealing a small yellow light which was accompanied by a loud alerting sound that was emitted from it. The alarm like noise caused Niv to jerk himself out of his hiding spot ,revealing himself before the distressed man.

Benjamin’s bloodshot eyes darted towards Niv as he backed into a corner as he banged on the wall as if he tried to escape from the kid he slowly tried to approach him. 

“H-hey,easy...I don’t want to fight you or anything, I just wanted to know how to take off this bracer thing, I tried to remove it all day but it won’t budge.” Niv pulls up his sleeve to show Benjamin the Bracer on his left hand.   
  


“Oh man,aren’t  _ we _ fucked...we’re good as dead...DEAD!!” Benjamin falls on his ass as he starts to cry without reservation.   
  


Niv scowls as he tries to get the stranger’s attention. “Hey,you’re not making any sense. What is  _ this _ ? How can I get it off? There is no release clasp and no nothing. “Niv crouches down in front of Benjamin as he tries to get answers from him.

“Don’t you get it? It was a set up.The whole thing of me being from that studio was bullshit...I was part of the Bracer research team but  _ he _ coerced into giving you that Bracer so that mine can be removed...but now we are just going to be  _ his _ guinea pigs…” The man confessed as if he was giving himself a eulogy.

“Wait...you’re going too fast for me...what research,who is  _ he?  _ “ Niv tried to get a straight answer as he held Benjamin from his shoulders,shaking him a bit.

Benjamin could only make a hopeless chuckle before answering. “Doesn’t even matter kid...in a few minutes,we’ll both be dea-” 

“Freeze! Nobody move!”

Before Benjamin could finish his sentence,two people approached behind Niv’s back,pointing stylishly chromatic guns at the two Bracer bearers.

The two people in question were a guy and a girl,both clad in white futuristic looking clothing that looked like tactical gear,something you’d wound up seeing in a game or a movie. The guy combed back brown hair and big blue eyes,one of them was closed as he looked at them through the aiming sight that was on top of it.

The girl next to him was dressed in a similar manner. Tactical uniform with shoulder and knee pads. She also had brown hair that was tied to a knot and blue eyes with a small tint of green in them,unlike her partner. 

“W-what now?” Niv asked as he tried to walk out of their sight but he suddenly saw the girl move in front of them and put her gun close to his face.

“Don’t even think about moving,keep your hands up.” The girl ordered him to raise his hands and he obeyed without question.

“We have a lot of questions for you two. We’ve been following the Bracers signals for the last few days until they suddenly split. And now we found two people wearing the two bracers. The Leo and Hydrus Bracers. The man’s words were a bit cryptic but it seems like they were following Benjamin for quite some time and they finally decided to jump on him. Niv was very unlucky to be a part of it.

“L-leo Bracer?” Niv looked at his bracer enough times to remember how the lion shaped insignia looked,there was no mistaking it. He was wearing something they were looking for,but what was it even? 

“Who are you?” The woman asked as she aimed her gun at Benjamin.

“Benjamin Choldai,of the Jericho R&D department.” He answered in a hushed tone.raising his hands in the air.

“One of the guys who went missing after the attack?. Were you a part of the raid that took place on the vault?” The man asked Benjamin.

“N-not willingly.”

“Who is your boss? Tell us.”

“I-i don’t know.” He lowered his eyes in shame.

“Try again,cut the jokes off.” The woman pressed her gun to his head,threatening him that if he won’t cooperate she won’t hesitate to pull the trigger as if everyone would be better for it.

“I-I REALLY DON’T KNOW! He forced me to help out in order to keep my family from being harmed. All I know is that he had some foreige military uniform and that every called him The-UGH!!” Benjamin’s Bracer opens up to reveal an orange interior that blinked slowly until the word  _ “Mismatch” _ played in a cold robotic tone. A similar voice to what Niv have heard earlier today,the voice that told him to defend himself.

  
The Bracer started to flash in rapid red beacons. Benjamin struggled as he attempted to pry it open,but it was useless. Suddenly the Bracer started to inject something to his body,causing Benjamin to writhe in pain,his hand swollen up in an unpleasant way as if inflating in a caricature manner. 

“If this is how  _ he  _ wants to play. Then fine! I will show  _ him _ the fruits of my research!” He reached for a syringe in his breast pocket and jammed it right into his neck. He groaned as his consciousness waned off. Thus,he made him collapse on the asphalt as he frothed from his mouth,having his eyes twitch in a disgusting manner.

  
Niv could barely grasp what was going on aside from the fact that this man here was forced to give him something that can potentially do  _ this _ to him for reasons unknown to him.   
  


“What the hell is going on..Hey!! Benjamin…” Niv tries to touch Benjamin but he won’t react, only a really foul smell comes from his body. ”N...no way. He’s dead?. I should call the an ambulance or the poli- “ 

While Niv tries to pull out his phone a hand grabbed him from behind. It was some older looking guy with brown hair and a tasteful garb.

“That won’t be necessary.” The mysterious man proceeds to hold Niv down onto the ground. **  
  
**

“Hey...What the hell!” Niv tried to break free from the man’s hold but the person in question has put his knee on Niv’s neck to make him stop squirming.

“Linda, Check his Bracer.” The man raised his voice with an order.

The woman pulled out her binoculars to scan Niv’s Bracer as it quickly gave a reading on his bracer,it was orange colored. “The Bracer is starting to wake up,we are running out of time. We might have to cut his arm.” The brunette lady answered after lowering the binoculars.

  
“W-wai-WHAT? Cut off my arm? What are you talking about?” Niv was getting pissed off because no one was making any sense and things just kept escalating way too fast to his liking.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” She calmly pulls out a glowing,futuristic short sword out of the hilt that was placed on the side of her person, and then proceeds to draw it closer and closer to his arm. “All you need to know is that we are saving your life.”

Niv struggled to escape as the knife was about to touch his skin,but he was held down by both of them, so the only thing he could do is watch as the edge of her blade draws closer and closer to his arm. It was hard to notice at first but the sword was emitting intense heat and vibrations,meaning it would not only cut Niv’s arm with ease,it would be helluva painful. But before the sword made contact with Niv’s skin,

“Caution.” was whispered in his mind.

A sudden scream was belted from where Benjamin was lying.

All three of them looked towards their eyes to where Benjamin’s body was located as they noticed he started to move again as he coughed blood violently,he started to get up,slowly but he looked pretty much dead, pale face, sunken eyes.

“Caution.” there it goes again.

The fish-like eyes sent chills down Niv’s eyes, it wasn’t a moment ago that he talked to that man and he was so full of fearful emotions and clinging to life. But now it looks like nothing is left.

  
“Be-benjamin?” The forceful man relented from Niv’s neck as he draw closer to Benjamin.

“”W-what the hell is going on?” Niv questioned how a man that died could get up so quickly. That shouldn’t be possible!.

“Caution.” 

“Linda?” The man called out to his partner.

She quickly scans Benjamin. “This man has critical levels of radioactivity coming from him.”

“I-i did it…” Benjamin whispered.

“Caution.”

“”Huh?”” the duo reacted with surprise.

“My research is successful. Nobody has to die from failing to mismatch…” his eyes were calm,as if he reached a certain nirvana. Peace knowing as if any material problems were no longer an issue to him.

“Caution” “Caution.”

“A-ah…” his calm demeanor abruptly changed as A black fluid started to seep out of the Bracer as pointed crystals started to pop out of his skin.causing him to scream as he tossed and turned through the parking lot as the crystals continued to come out of his body.

“Linda,let go of the kid, we need to contain this thing, _ now! _ “ He began to fire bullets towards Edward,causing him to lose balance as the bullet holes caused black liquid to ooze out of his body.

The woman whom he referred to as Linda let go of Niv as she joined her partner in creating a safe space of aggression between them and Benjamin. She changed the grip of her sword so she would hold it upside down as she pulled her gun and began to discharge bullets onto him as well.

The man then pulls out his own short sword, similar to the one his partner was holding as he flipped his gun to hold it from the gun’s slide. “Cover me from afar. I will attempt to severe it.” The man ordered the woman as he tossed the gun to her,immediately changing his attacks to quick sword slashes.

“Roger.” She replied as she gave him her sword as she grabbed his gun from the air..

The man did a rather elegant spin to grab a sword she threw at him and began to attack Benjamin more fiercely by attempting to slash his deformed right hand,but it proved to be rather tough to strike. The woman provided covering fire as she aimed to hit Benjamin’s legs and back,trying to stagger him.

The man tries to cut the area above the crystals but they are forming way too quickly as they rapidly continue to envelope his entire arm.

“Caution.” “Caution.”

“Ugh,it’s advancing too rapidly.“ The man said in a pissed off tone as he tried to strike Benjamin at other locations but swords kept bouncing back from him as if his body was hard like a diamond.

“Move away!” The girl fired two charged shots towards Benjamin’s head,hitting him dead on the forehead as he starts to tumble in pain as he tries to get away,practically breaking the wall and entering the sewer tunnel system. It continued to storm off as it writhed in pain.

“Caution..cautio-” It has ended as Benny has created a large enough distance between them.

“Shit, We underestimated the situation. We will need to bring out the bigger guns.” The man reached his ear piece. “This is Edward,The situation has changed,we are changing our role from surveillance to pursuers as the target has entered the sewers. Please use GPS footprints location to supply me with a single COMET. We are no longer subduing, we are going for the kill.” Edward started to remove any excess baggage from his person, anything that could obstruct his movement. “I will chase Benjamin while you keep watch on the kid until I come back. Kill him if his Bracer starts to blink.”  
  


“Wait,what do you mean  _ kill? _ ” Niv questioned the duo that obviously ignored him.

“Heck,might as well kill him now. We can’t have witnesses.” The man looked at Niv with a condescending look as he entered the hole Benjamin made that leads into the sewer. 

“Why are you rushing ahead? You will probably die by the time the drone delivers the weapon.” Linda objected to Edward’s plan,but he didn’t let it stop him.

“I can’t risk it getting away, our entire operation depends on the fact no one knows what he is. As long as I can follow it around,I can make sure to keep it inside the sewers.” Edward continues into the hole and disappears from sight.

“What the hell is going on...This is some horror movie stuff…” Niv could only shake in his boots in pure disbelief. He had a pretty ordinary day just a few minutes ago and now he is stuck in some outlandish situation that he saw way too many times in the shows he used to watch.

“I know it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but we just need to get that Bracer off of you before  _ that  _ happens to you.” She aimed against him to keep him on the ground.

  
  


“So why won’t you just cut my arm then?” Niv gulped as he realized he might have taunted her.

“Not yet.I believe you are under too much stress and your body’s urgency to survive might accelerate the metamorphosis and if you become anything like him I will need to either use a high powered canon or just stab you in the cranium. And to be frank I don’t want to be a murderer. You did nothing wrong.” she answered coldly as she poked Niv’s bracer with her gun.   
  
“But you can’t let me go either,right?” Niv asked as he started to grasp the gist of the situation.

“Correct. We considered cutting your arm off but now I am thinking it might not end well because your bracer has started it’s count down.“ She bapped the bracer as if to show Niv that the situation is pretty dire for him as well. 

“You sound like you did it before.” it was the only thing Niv could have asked since he felt her explanation was a bit too casual for his own good. It made him outright anxious.

“it isn’t the first time we hunted them. It’s a practice we have been doing for a few months now.” she replied with little interest while saying that it isn’t her first rodeo. “All you need to know is that we are the good guys, trying to save people. We just don’t dress in spandex or wear underwear on our pants. We try to avoid killing innocent lives.”   
  
“So...you’re stalling for time? You’d rather shoot me later when I am turning? There is nothing heroic about that.” Niv was being sassy which surprised her, usually people freak out when they are held at gunpoint.

“That’s right. But if you take your sweet time then we might save you and get you to a hospital. But considering the amount of stress you must be under, I doubt it will take long for you to change. My gun can kill almost anything but it can’t destroy those bracers.” She checks his Bracer’s considering as it blinks slowly.

“If it can destroy almost anything,how come it didn’t really do a whole lot to Benjamin?” Niv asked as he realized the guy that called himself Edward tried to slash’s slashes weren’t really all that useful looking when attacking Benjamin.

“I am unsure,it might be the properties of his Bracer or the thing he injected himself with,hard to tell since we never allowed people to wear bracers.” She shrugged as she admitted that even if she has experience, she might not have a strong comprehension of what is going on entirely.

“Well,that sucks.” Niv said in an underwhelming tone.

“You’re surprisingly cooperative, what gives?” She eyes him up with a weird expression but she was interrupted as a flying drone came to the parking lot and dropped a big briefcase with a large thonk. ”Ah,it’s here. Edward,the Comet has arrived. Ed? Do you copy?” She released the communicator’s dial but all that she could hear was static.

“That sounds bad...is he alright?” Niv’s tone became a bit more pessimistic as he felt an ominous vibe coming from the static noise he heard.

“ I-i don’t know. I need to call for reinforcements.” The girl stuttered as she reached her communicator.

“But you don’t have time! You need to look for him!” Niv raised his voice since time was of the essence.

She could only look at him as she was distracted from pressing the communicator’s button. “And leave you alone so you can run away? You wish.” The girl laughed in a very cold “Ha”.   
  


“Then I will come with you!“ Niv urged the girl who was about to shoot him.

“W-what? Why should I consider this?” she was outright baffled, Niv started to show groundless confidence about his suggestion.

“Well,let’s just say it like this: That creature can kill me or you can kill me with that big weapon if you see me turning. Nobody would even know and you will save people from being monsters. And if i don’t turn before we can save your partner and you two can get rid of him. You can save me by getting rid of my arm afterwards. I think it’s a sound plan. “ Niv slowly gets up on his two feet as he ignores the gun pointed at him.

“How can you talk so calmly about possibly getting yourself shot in the sewers? You’re weird.” Her face twists as she gets more and more frustrated.

“I wouldn’t say weird but...I want to do the right thing,if it means to save people then I might feel less bad about being shot if it meant I won’t harm others.” his casual toned voice got a bit heavier as she noticed his body was shaking.

**“** Fine,but you won’t have any complaints if I shoot you without hesitation?” She sighs as she pulls her gun away from him.

“N-none at all.” He forces a smile on his face to reassure the both of them.

The girl walks to the briefcase and opens it to remove a large blaster that has a label called COMET out of it. She immediately loads a couple of battery looking shells into it and packs a few more of them onto her person as she loads a shell into the chamber. “You follow my lead and under no circumstances distance yourself from me. Is that clear?”

“Crystal but...that gun isn’t IWI made,is it?” Niv points out the obvious, IWI is the Israeli Weapon Industries Company which usually handles the creation and distribution of any firearm in the country. However the weapon the girl held in her arms made anything he saw in photos and articles look like water pistols.

“Hardly...you think they can make these publicly? This gun doesn’t even follow the Geneva Convention.” She said something extremely dangerous as if it was nothing.

  
“O-oh...S-sounds incredibly dangerous.” Niv gulped as he nervously stood beside her.

“The less questions you ask,the better.alright?” She goes into the hole as she waits for Niv to get in there.

“Ugh,it smells terrible--guh.” Niv hesitantly refuses to land his foot at the sewer because of all the sludge.” 

“We don’t have time to worry about our sanitary. Get moving.” she pushed Niv into the sludge,causing him to yelp as he felt the water enter his shoes.

“R-right… “ Niv tried to focus as he felt the smell and sensation overcome him.”Also,what’s your name? I’m Niv, You’re Linda,right?” He asked as he sought a way to distract himself.

“It’s Amelinda. Come on,we need to hurry.” The girl that finally has a name to fit the face urged Niv to get a move on as they followed Edward’s footsteps.   
  
Several minutes have gone by as they continue to search the sewers by themselves. Amelinda,the brunette girl that kept a watchful eye on Niv and a device that apparently guided her through the labyrinth that is central tel aviv’s sewage system. However there were no signs of struggle or noise made from a struggle which made them both uneasy.

“We’ve been going in this direction for a while...You sure this is the right?” Niv asked as he got constantly pushed by the COMET’s barrel.

“We shouldn’t be far from Edward’s tracking signal,he should be in the next area.” Amelinda explained to Niv the situation as she nudged him forward so they won’t stall any further.

They both arrive into a large space, a hub area inside the sewage and Edward is simply lying in the middle of the area,dirty and soaked in sewer water.

“Edward!” Amelinda called to him as she slowly approached him. “Are you alright? Where is the target?” she crouched down so she could speak to him.

“W-what are you doing here? I told you to wait.” Edward tries to continue speaking but stops as he starts to cough a bit of blood.

“We are not having this discussion now, we need to get you out of there.” Amelinda tries to lift him off the ground.

“ Wait..You can’t…” He stops her from helping him.

“It’s alright. The drone brought The Comet.” she shows it to him to try and reassure him.

“Get out of here...forget about me..” He tried to plead her as he coughed like mad.

“caution.”

“W-why? Why are you saying that?” She tried to ask since even she was pretty damn sure he wanted to be saved.

“He is right behind you…” He points to something behind her.

“Defend.”

Right after Edward spoke these words a giant silhouette drops off from the ceiling as it caused a great splash of sewage water. Just to rise up menacingly as very little of Benjamin’s physical appearance remained. The man who used to be called Benjamin Choldai has become a black,scaly and disgustingly lanky creature with red glowing eyes. He looked like some kind of alien. He kept hissin and and flicking his tongue as he slowly approached Niv and Amelinda.

“You followed me here as well. Terrible mistake.” The creature said in a menacingly hush tone.

“H-how did you change so fast?” Amelinda asked as she held up the COMET in front of him.

“Defend.”

“The syringe I injected myself allowed me to negate many of the drawbacks of the bracer. I was able to prove you can succeed in a mismatching process.”

“Succeed? You call that monstrous form a success?” Amelinda scoffed at his words. “Since you are no longer dead I am giving you the option to give yourself.”

“Why? So would Jericho dissect me like a lab rat? I am not going back to Jericho, it’s his fault I am in this situation in the first place!” He snarled as his tail whipped in anger.

“Final warning,take it if you value your life.” Amelinda began to charge her COMET. Seeing the laser sights on his head.

“I think you are overestimating yourself,A human is NOTHING compared to HYDRUS.” The self proclaimed Hydrus charged towards Amelinda and Niv with claws raised and tail poised.

“Stay back!” Amelinda gets in front of Niv and starts to charge the COMET but The Creature swatted it away from her arm,Which caused the COMET to fire off a shot into the wall behind Hydrus,causing some rocks to fly all over the area. The impact of his attack has sends Amelinda flying into the wall to her side, fracturing her arm in the process as the COMET landed a couple of meters away from her.

“Hey! You alright? Amelinda?!” Niv planted his feet on the slippery floor as he stood between Edward and The Creature.

“I told you to run away,moron!“ Edward yelled at Niv but his voice started to break as his lungs started to feel as if they were about to explode.

Niv didn’t move as he answered Edward while still facing Hydrus. “Amelinda said I could be dangerous,that I could end up like him.So I came here to help knowing that if I can help before I turn,I might at least save someone’s life. I couldn’t save those whom I cared most for so…” He turns to face Edward while crying. **“** Maybe dying while saving someone else is worth it?” 

“Danger.”   
  


Niv has opened his heart for the first time. He remembered the car crash that happened when he was a young child. How his Father instinctively chose to shield him from the crash. He always regretted being saved instead of his parents. They were such young and amazing people to him, they raised him to be their son yet he never felt like he could hold up to their expectations. Even if it was for a single moment,He wanted to be brave enough to risk his life for others. Just like his father. 

“Danger.”

He felt something sharp entering it as well. It was The Creature’s claws,rending his heart to shreds. It caused Niv to vomit blood but he tried to stand still without succumbing to the pleasure of surrendering himself to death. As if to show Niv’s determination,his bracer started to give red flashes at an alarming rate.

“....”   
  


“Personally, I felt so tired of my life since I lost my motivation to live,I just went with the flow of things but I was disinterested. So when Amelinda  said I could help someone,I felt happ-urnnngh...That there is a possibility that I can make my folks proud and be a hero...for a maybe a minute ....” 

“....d”

Hydrus and Edward were confused for a moment. It wasn’t really possible.   
  
“...ound.”

“His claws went into your heart and lungs...how are you still talking?” Edward looks at Niv’s Bracer and he notices that the Bracer suddenly stopped beeping red and instead turned green. “Your Bracer...it’s not going haywire? It’s actually…”

“--found.”

“Match Found” A cold emotionless voice echoed through the quiet and motionless sewer.

“Leo Zodiarm has acknowledged its current wielder as a worthy user. Beginning cellular modification and cellular signaturing.”

Niv started to feel something inject into his body. The sensation was warm and calming,his body still spazzed immensely as if it was being torn and glued apart over and over again as his veins started to fill themselves with light. He felt new found strength coursing through his body so he started to pull The Creature’s claws away from his body until they seperate. 

“Y-you matched with the Bracer? H-how is it possible! You’re nothing special!” Hydrus saw the holes in Niv’s chest close and heal to the point that as it went back in time to the point he before he pierced his chest.

“Cellular restoration complete.” The mechanical voice that came from the bracer announced with little fanfare but the results were amazing. Niv felt his chest and he was whole again,but he felt on fire,rejuvenated and adrenaline rushed in his veins.

“I-i don’t know what’s going on but... am going to stop you, Benjamin...until I can’t stand anymore...and if I become a problem...then i’ll deal with that later.” Niv slowly approached his opponent and began to punch him. 

The fists that Niv land cause The Creature to stagger from the impact.Although slightly. As Niv looks at his fists he grows more confident and begins throwing them more confidently,trying to push back Hydrus even further.

After a few hits the monster realized what was going on and started evading Niv’s punches by bending his lanky body around Niv’s reach and retaliated back by countering with his claws.

Niv was able to dodge his claws efficiently by moving his body around Hydrus’s swings and even parrying his attacks by kicking them. The voice inside Niv’s head was no longer present inside his mind but he felt the same way he felt as he dodged Tom’s punches. He was surprised by his abilities so well since he still had a small maneuvering window when he faced Tom. but now he felt like all of Hydrus’s attacks were even slower than a school bully’s punches. however,it was harder and harder to find an opening to land a decent blow. Niv felt power flow through him but even that doesn’t mean much if he can’t do better than hitting him with his fists.

But as Niv tried to outsmart Hydrus, the slithering opponent tackled Niv to the ground. 

“Let’s see you dodging my teeth!” Hydrus opened his mouth,revealing a dangerous array of sharp teeths that could render Niv’s body to pieces. Niv was pretty sure he wouldn't survive if he had his head bitten off.

  
  


“The ability to ‘Rise’ is now available” The bracer has declared with a small ting. Giving the significance that it was primed and ready.

“The Bracer isn’t rejecting him...he might have a chance...hey kid!!” Edward tries to get Niv’s attention.

“W-what?” Niv asks as he struggles to distance The Creature from his face.

“If you use the Bracer you can beat him...try Rising.”

“R-rising?” Niv tries to look at the Bracer as he uses it as a shield to protect himself from The Creature jaws. They all said there isn’t a weapon on earth that can destroy it so might as well use it in self defense. Once Hydrsus’s mouth latched onto Niv’s bracer he proceeded to kick The Creature in the stomach, making him recoil back. Allowing Niv time to stand up on his feet.

“There is a crest there,right? twist and pull it!” Edward explained to Niv how to operate the bracer.

Niv looks at the Bracer in the same manner you would look at a watch. “So I guess I do this…?” He turns the crest counterclockwise in 90 degrees,causing the Lion mouth to open wide enough to fit a finger in. “and pull?” He proceeds to put his fingers inside the lion's mouth and pulls it as far as he can,causing the Lion’s entire face to expand,revealing his eyes as well.

“Please enter the initial vocal password for transformation activation.” The voice of the bracer asked Niv to give it a voice imprint.   
  
“Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise” “Rise”    
  
The word kept repeating in Niv’s head. If he didn’t do what Edward and the voice in his mind told him then he will probably die.   
  
There is no other option.

“Z-zodi-Rise!?” As Niv uttered these words he was engulfed in what could be described as a spherical projection of the Leo Constellation.

“Vocal Imprint accepted. Please use your hand to move the Bracer through the holographic stars to finalize the transformation sequence.” The Bracer explained the next part of the transformation tutorial/

Niv quickly passes the bracer through all the nine stars in a clockwise motion until his hand reaches the star that represents the tip of the tail. As his hand was raised all the way up a new star shone bright,it was the Regulus star,it beckoned `Niv’s hand with how it was brighter than all the rest. He brought his hand down to Regulus and with it,he finalized the transformation sequence,the light inside the Bracer started to cover Niv’s entire body,he shone bright like a burning star inside the sewer. 

Once the light burnt down and the water evaporated, Niv was left standing in front of a bewildered and shocked monster as a young man in red armor that’s shaped like a lion. **  
  
**

“Transformation complete,Zodi-ARM-or Leo,Ready fof combat deployment.”

**“** I-it worked! We got a chance now! Another Zodiarm user has been chosen.” Edward felt relief as he saw Niv armor clad.   
  
“his..feels incredible...I feel power surging through my entire body.” Niv looked at his hands in astonishment, he saw the shimmering claws that are now attached to his hands and how the armor looked on his body..

“Don’t get distracted! You need to finish him up,quickly!” Edward’s yelling snapping Niv back into focus,causing him to jump kick the creature and now Niv’s attacks have significantly more “Pow” to them.

“R-right, what do I do?” Niv turns to ask Edward as The Creature’s tail coils around Niv’s body, just to toss him around,making the armored teenager land on all fours, like a feline.

“We don’t have time to figure out how your Zodiarm works,can you just restrain him while I hit him with the COMET?” Amelinda yelled at him from the other side of the sewer. It took her a little while to regain her strength after getting attacked but she slowly made her way to the COMET while disregarding her broken arm.   
  
“Y-you plan on shooting him while I am holding him? That might get me killed!” Niv complains as he charges towards Hydrus again,grabbing it by his sides and begins to hit him with his knee to it’s stomach and then follows up with a whiplash kick to the side. 

“You were fine with it a minute ago! So rough him up a bit.” Amelinda ordered Niv as she wrapped her broken arm with some fabric she ripped from her uniform.   
  


“I-i know I said that but, “ Niv muttered to himself as Hydrus tries to claw his Niv’s armor but he just about dodged it. Niv then proceeds to jab The Creature in its stomach several times to try and to stop it from moving. But slowly Niv’s hands started to heat up to the point that flames came out of them and before Niv could think. He punched The Creature in the chest with the best hook he could and it sends him flying until he collides with the wall.

“Holy...this is incredible..!” reacted with giddiness as he looked at his heated fist.

“Admire yourself later! I am charging the shot!”  Amelinda crouched on the dirty sewer floor while holding the COMET, charging it up as particles gather inside the barrel.

“Hey, Kid! Take my swords!” Edward uses what little energy he has to toss both of the swords to Niv **.** “I like my kebabs crispy…” He gave Niv a hint on exactly what he should do.

“Well...you’re in for a stomach ache!!” Niv yells as he dashes towards The Creature. The blazing hands caused the swords to heat up as well and he just impaled him to the wall. Forcing The Creature to stand up straight. “ _ Do it!! _ “

Amelinda scoffs as she takes aim at The Creature’s head, her reticle goes right between his eyes. 

“ _ Die!! _ “ 

Her finger pressed the trigger and with it, an energy blast wave came out of the barrel and fired towards Hydrus’s head. The shot filled the sewer once again with a bright light and it incinerated The Creature’s head right off as the neck was entirely charred. The Creature’s body was left to spasm against the wall.

“Linda...you did it!” Edward gave praise even though he was about to pass out.

“S-shut up…” she collapsed as she held her wrist. “That son of a bitch broke my wrist…”   
  
“Good, you still got your spunk.” He laughs to himself. “Hey kid, nice job. Kid?” Edward directed his attention to Niv, who stood silently in front of The Creature.

Without saying anything, Niv’s armor disintegrated as he fell on his back, writhing in pain.

“H-hey kid! Linda, I thought you didn’t hit him.” Edward asked her hysterically.

“I-i didn’t! B-but... Maybe he was too close?” Amelinda dragged herself towards Niv, she saw he was conscious, but just barely as he wore a smile on his face.

“Dad...did you see me?”  
  
His words caused the two to be quiet for a moment. **  
** **  
**“I was brave and saved someone...Do you think I am a...hero?” Niv could only breathe faintly as his consciousness faded away, his eyes closed as he heard the cries of the two people he helped and all he could feel was he was content.

Amelina was trying to move Niv, to get any response from him. “Don’t die on me now!” she muttered to herself as she raised his shirt to see the damage. Which left her surprised.

“What’s the matter?” Edward asked anxiously. “Is he dead?” He continued to inquire as he tried to keep his breathing steady. His own body was hurt pretty bad so even breathing caused him discomfort.

“H-he’s...fine.” Amelinda whispered.

“D-don’t screw around! You saw that thing pierced his chest!” 

“You know I don’t lie Look!” Amelinda moved aside as she showed Edward Niv’s burdened breathing. “I assume that Zodiarm restored his body.” Amelinda pondered to herself.

“Restored? Are you telling me he survived a fatal attack to his heart?”

“Y-yes. There are multiple areas around his chest that look like...they came back. The skin texture is different from the rest of his skin.” she raises Niv’s arm to check a pulse. “He has a rather steady pulse but his hands are burnt but it’s almost like I can wipe the burnt areas from his fingers like dust.” Amelinda sighed with relief. “It looks like he isn’t in any danger. 

“What about that creature?” Edward points towards the now headless monster.

Amelinda slowly approaches it and kicks it to see if it moves. “No movement, I assume it’s dead.”

“Good work then, who taught you to shoot like that?” Edward laughed as he sighed in relief only to cough hysterically.

“Kind of wish it was you since then it would mean you would also be competent. What were you thinking going off by yourself?” Amelinda expressed her frustration at her brother.

“We didn’t have time and we were running out of options. I’m sorry.” Edward apologized as he tried to sit on the dirty floor as he held his ribs. “Can you shout at me later though? I want to see a doctor.” Edward pleaded as he moaned in pain.

“Fine.” she muttered to herself as she felt she wasn’t finished. She tapped her fingers against her communicator to call their operator. “Yeah, I need a pick up for the target and Medevac for two people, one of them is Edward and the other is...A survivor.”

End of Chapter 2


	3. A healing Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After obtaining the Zodiarm,he finds himself in a hospital where he will learn more about the duo whom he met at the parking lot and his in new place in their future plans. what will he decide to do with all that information? Meanwhile, some unfinished business resurface that will test Niv's resolve on which direction he sould take.

Prologue:

Earlier that day,Yona just got back from work. She was exhausted and just wanted to rest. She went to the kitchen to prepare herself some coffee until she got a phone call. She pulled out the her cell from her uncomfortable jeans pocket to see her nephew’s name,Niv, was on the screen.

She smiled a bit since it’s rare for them to even talk on the phone so she pressed the green button on the screen to accept his call. “Hello,Niv?” Yona primed her voice to make sure she is being heard loud and clear.

“Something really weird just happened.” His voice spoke softly as if he was uncertain of something. “Apparently there is no one by the name of Ben Choldai working at Roei…” Niv sighed to the speaker as she could hear his stomping and wind through being picked up by his phone..

“What? Are you kidding me?” Yona raised her voice to the point that it echoed through the house. She didn’t expect such problematic news to come up and it soiled the good mood she had after she could finally talk to NIv.

“NO,apparently, She the receptionist told me off by saying there is no nor ever was someone like this in the studio’s history. It’s like the he doesn’t exist.” Niv started to project the same level of volume as he explained the situation to her.mimicking the voice of the receptionist probably.

Yona sighs Heavily as she smacks her lips really loudly. “Alright,I will do some phone calls and get to the bottom of it. You just get back home and we will break it open somehow. “

“R-right.“ Niv cuts off the line from his end as Yona is left to hear the beeping.

Yona lowered her head to the kitchen’s marble. She tried to gather her thoughts but her nerves were boiling as the kettle she turned on.

She raised her head and quickly went into her contact list.scrolling through her enormous list of contacts and phone numbers she finally stumbles upon a contact name that was a bit different than everyone else.

It was merely titled “Scumbag - Do not answer”.

She reluctantly pressed the call button as she put the phone against her ear,letting the phone ring for about a minute until it got picked up.

“Hey hey heyyy,Yona darling,how you doing?” from the other side came a voice of a young,brash man whose intonation caused Yona quite a lot of frustration.

“H-hey,I need your help with something.” Yona asked in a rather apprehensive voice.

“Hoho,really~?” The man on the other side of the call replied. “ Have you finally come to your senses and decided to woo me back?” The man talked in a pompous way that drove her mad.

“Hardly! Like I would ever want to date you again!” Yona gritted her teeth in frustration as she slammed her fists against the marble surface.

“Oh,now that’s a shame,So I hope you have a fairly good reason to call me that isn’t yelling at me on the phone?” The man on the other side was still joyous but he did have a slight tinge of resentment into her voice.

“Yeah,I do. So listen…”

She quickly explained to the man on the other side what happened yesterday. The man who came to her house,talked her ear off about a new hero show and how they wanted Niv to be there. The parcel he gave Niv and, how it looked like a weird morpher toy that got stuck on his arm. With no way to unlock it and ultimately how the man called Ben Choldai didn’t exist according to the studio’s manpower listing.

“Sheesh,that’s an outright mess you got yourself into.” The man chuckled on the other side.

“You don’t have to tell me that. I am this close to wanting to call the police on you all but I wanted to know if this is some elaborate plan to get Niv into your studio so you can woe him into acting!” Yona threatened the man on the other side.

“Okay,okay I can understand your frustration so let me give you some some help,I don’t know anyone by that name and any show that RoeiPro would make for the Unyielding Lion is years into the future because we aren't even close to the anniversary. It’s like 2 years ahead, so no plans were even made as far as I’m aware of.” The man explained in a typically annoying Tel-Avivian accent.

“So what? You’re telling me some stranger came to my house like it was nothing and gave some strange item,presenting it as a toy? You’re better not trying to weasel out of your own mess!”

“Why I would never! Did you forget your own court ruling? We aren’t allowed to contact or employ Niv until the year 2020. And as far as I know,the higher ups aren’t really interested in Niv since he isn’t even an actor. “ The man explained in an exhausted tone.

“I-I see…” Yona replied as she placed her hand on her forehead,feeling like she wants to vomit.

“I can try to look up more information for you, it seems like that Ben fellow has access to private information so if anything I would like to save ourselves the hassle of a lawsuit,and perhaps win a favor from you.” The man chuckles to himself.

“Yeah,a favor that isn’t a lawsuit or a punch to the face.” Yona answered in a way that he will definitely hear she talked while gritting her teeth.

“My my,don’t get wrinkles from me,baby. I will call you when I can~ Ciao~!”

The annoying man hanged up the call and left Yona to her own thoughts.

She went through her evening as usual,doing the laundry,going through billings and even checking her online streaming services for any sort of distraction that could calm her down from her frustration.

Around two hours later she sat on the balcony,smoking another cigarette to try and ease herself but she wanted to check her phone.

“It’s been a while since Niv checked in with me. What is taking him so long?” She impatiently tapped her feet against the floor.

Until suddenly her phone started to ring loudly, which startled her.

After panicking and balancing the phone back into her arm she gleefully looked at the screen,hoping that it would be NIv.

But as if to defeat her expectations it wasn’t him but rather his childhood friend,Ana.

“Oh,it’s that kid.” Yona smiled as she answered the call.

“Hey,Ana,how are you doing sweetie? Didn’t see you since the Mimuna.” Yona tried to talk to Ana without sounding heavy hearted after what happened today.

“Hey,Yona,I’m doing fine. What about you?” Ana’s voice which sounded a bit concerned asked in return.

Yona initially thought that perhaps Ana was being shy since they barely talked but she knew the kid since she was a child so she felt there was no room for reservation.

“Oh,I’m fine. Working as usual,y’know? What can I do for you?” Yona asked cordially.

“H-have you spoke to Niv today?” Ana asked in a concerned voice.

“Why yes,around 5PM-ish I think. Right after he went to deal with something in the city.” She explained briefly.

“Yeah,I know about it. Niv told me and Segev he was going to RoeiPro to get it removed. I just tried to call him but he won’t pick up his phone.” Ana explained to Yona as calmly as she could.

“You don’t say? Maybe he couldn’t answer or ran out of battery? I am kind of used to him filtering my calls and text so I am not too worried.” Yona answered casually.

“T-true,but then I looked at the news. Please turn to channel 12.” Ana told Yona.

At that point,Yona’s heart stopped. She just got up on her feet and carried herself to the living room. Took the remote control from the table and switched the channel by pressing “1-2”.

The moment the channel switched,Yona’s eyes widened in shock.

It was all like a bad dream for her.

The news anchors were cold heartedly explaining the situation,the nation wide search for a missing person.

His name was…

“Ben Choldai…”

Yona froze in bewilderment.

“What the hell is going on…?” Yona’s eyes were fixated on the screen for as long as she could tell as she tried to hold her tears from coming out.

“Where are you Niv? Your aunt is worried…”

♌ Chapter 3: A healing Lion Part 1 ♌

Niv’s eyes flickered wide open as light entered his vision, causing him to stretch as he woke up. “It’s morning already?” he asked himself as he placed his hand on the bed sheets. “Huh,when did I get back home?” he continued to inquire as he yawned awake until he saw Edward placed in the bed next to him.

“You’re awfully talkative in the morning.” He expressed his discomfort from Niv’s noisiness in bated breaths.

“W-woah! You’re the guy from yesterday! The weird dandy who wanted to cut my hand!” Niv jumped in bed as he pointed towards Edward in accusation.

“Stop being so loud in the morning, my ribs are killing me as is!” Edward threw a pillow at Niv’s face. He then ends up taking another pill to help relieve the pain.

“S-sorry. Didn’t mean to get you out of shape like that.” Niv rubbed the back of his head to apologize. “Where exactly are we? A hospital?” Niv looked at the room they were in and the heart monitor and IV that was connected to him.

“We are in The Jericho Private Hospital. My dad owns it and don’t worry about what happened yesterday, we could have gotten it way worse but in the end. You saved us, Kid, so thanks. I would have shaken your hand but I doubt i’d like the feel of that.” Edward expresses his gratitude towards Niv.

“I am not a kid and my name is Niv.” He introduced himself before the Dandy young adult until he suddenly starts to feel queasy “oh god.” Niv starts to cough violently. “I feel like I want to throw up!” Niv takes the a bowl next to him and starts to vomit.

“Oh...I guess I might be even luckier than you.” Edward looks at Niv with a pitying expression.

After Niv’s gag reflex calms down to turns to edward to ask “What do you mean by that?”

“He means that among the three of us,you had it the worst.” Amelinda dropped by to answer his question. She entered our room with a professional manner. Her arm was wrapped in a small harness that blended in with her white shirt. Her clothes were more casual than before but one can assume it’s because she didn’t need her clothing to hinder the harness support. “Good morning brother,I see you’re already awake.” she politely greeted him.

“Brother,huh? If I look at you two,you really do look alike.” Niv spoke in realization as he compared both of their facial features.

“”Yeah right.”” they both answered together.

“Hey,you even reacted the same.” Niv pointed it out but it appears they decided to ignore it.

“And good morning to you too,Niv. How are you feeling?” she addressed Niv with some degree of concern.

Niv felt he was reminded of his condition as he replied. “I-I’m think i’m fine but…” Niv grabs his chest. “Something doesn’t feel right.” I remember what happened to me,Benjamin turned into a monster and he...killed me.”

“Not quite.” Amelinda corrected him “You didn’t die but you were dying. At least that’s what I am guessing right now.” She answered adequately.

“What’s the difference?” Niv asked anxiously. “Talking about someone dying so casually is really off putting.” Niv tried to criticize the ceremonious manner she said something so morbid.

“I think we should take it from the top.it will be a lot easier to explain what happened last night in more detail,I will answer any questions you will have afterwards.” Amelinda sat herself on Niv’s bed as she pushed him to make space for her.

“First of all introductions: I am Amelinda Jericho. And this is my Brother,Edward Jericho. Pleased to meet you.” Amelinda gave a small bow.

“I-i’m NIv,nice to meet you too.” Niv bowed slightly as well to match her dignified manner. “A-also,how are you feeling? I think you said something about breaking your arm?” he asked with concern as he recollected what happened to her.

“Oh,I’m fine.” she answered assuringly. “I didn’t break anything but I did fracture my arm a bit. I already got treated and some painkillers. Luckily for me. My injury wasn’t an incapacitating as Edward’s.”

“Why are you telling him our names?” Edward asking suspiciously. “It’s true he saved us but we don’t need to be that generous.” he continued to sulk in his bed as he eyed up Niv.

“Please be quiet,Edward,or else your ribs might hurt. I have my own reasons for doing this. Some of them are your fault.” Amelinda answered Edward as she shot a cold and stabbing gaze at him.

“We are a part of the Jericho Corporation,an institute that handles extraordinary risks such as the one you saw yesterday.” she explained as she pulled out an ID card that has her name,ID number and various information regarding her position in Jericho Corporation which labeled her as Operational and Executive Member.

“O-operational and Executive Member? Isn't’ that a bit…” Niv’s words trailed off

“Ludicrous?” Amelinda completed his sentence for him as if she heard it before. “I suppose it is but we don’t actually work by corporate standards anymore,everyone has to do their own part and we just happen to be the son and daughter of the CEO.” Amelinda explained such a shocking and preposterous tidbit of information without batting an eye.

“W-wait,if you two the CEO’s kids, then why are you out there shooting monsters?!” Niv raised his voice.

“Don’t yell damnit” Edward muttered as his head was pulsating.

“Our company has it’s employees do multiple roles to support operations and we were understaffed at times so we had to handle the situation by ourselves with no delay. Over the last three days we had two signatures appear on our radar, one is the Bracer that was worn by the man you met yesterday, the other is you.” she pointed her finger at Niv’s Zodiarm. “ Our father ordered us to observe and to acquire the Bracers from you two before they activate, by any means necessary. Which is usually.amputating the Bracer bearer’s arm.”

Niv could only fear for his hand as he grips it carefully,noticing that the Bracer is still attached to him.

“We won’t amputate your arm anymore, we have no reason to.”Amelinda reassured him.

“And why is that?” Niv asked with dreading suspicion.

“We can only safely remove a Bracer that didn’t match.” she raises her hands in the air to shrug. “And since you matched with your Bracer and it evolved into a Zodiarm, it is a part of you now.”

Amelinda’s declaration that Niv’s ownership of the Zodiarm made something in his heart flutter. “So it’s mine for good?” he said as he started to act excited. “That’s pretty cool!”

“As I was saying…” Amelinda continued. “Removing it from your person would cause not only significant damage to you, removing it would damage the Zodiarm itself. Meaning it will be unusable to anyone else who would try to put it on again.”

While Niv was smiling to himself he made a small “Oh” as if he remembered something important. “You keep mentioning the Bracer all the time and you said mine is a Zodiarm. What does that even mean?” Niv asked as he checked his Zodiarm which looked different from yesterday. It has gotten bigger and more gimmicky, to say the least. The lion aesthetic became more apparent as the Bracer turned from metallic gray to black and red.

“It’s simple. You start with a Bracer that attaches itself to a person once he wears it. And the end result makes you either A Rough or A refined.

“Rough or Refined?” Niv looking with a puzzled expression feeling he is getting more and more lost.

“Don’t worry,I am getting there.When a person matches or not changes the status of the Bracer.  
If it doesn’t match then it stays the same and can be used again for the matching process once the person wearing it perishes.

If the Bracer does match, then the Bracer evolves into a Zodiarm.” she explained as she showed him an image of standard Bracer.

“You remember what happened to Benjamin,right? He turned into a monster, a product of a mismatching process. You usually turn into a rough when you mismatch because your wavelength is still close to the bare minimum requirement of the Bracer,  
although there is still a chance that you would die if you fail to stand to the minimum requirements of said bracer. We call people who survive a mismatch Roughs,horrible creatures that are created after the body of the Bracer’s Bearer is mutated.  
The process of retrieving the Bracer from a Rough is the utter destruction of the Rough’s body.” she emphasised it by snapping her fingers.

“There is also the matter of fragility, a Bracer can’t be damaged by conventional means unlike a Zodiarm,that while resistant to damage,can still be destroyed if you apply enough destructive force to it. Are we clear on what we talked about so far?” Amelinda paused to see if Niv got it all.

“It’s a bit sudden so I am having a hard time getting it.” Niv lowered his head as he tried to hide his embarrassment but he had to admit it went over his head. .

“Okay we can try this: You have got two computers and you need to run a certain software on it. The software has requirements only one of the computers answers fully but you install it on both computers regardless. The computer that can run the software properly does all of its intended functions without a hitch, letting you use it as you see fit within its framework. and the other computer that doesn’t stand in the minimum requirements either crashes or can work but doesn’t work as you need it, cluttered with errors,bugs and crashes.” Amelinda explained it on a more technical yet accessible manner. “A computer that works properly is Refined and a suboptimal and buggy computer is a Rough.” She summarized simply.

“So in short, If I mismatched like Benjamin did, I would have turned into a monster,or just die on the spot,but instead I matched with my Bracer and it turned into a Zodiarm and instead of turning me into a monster it turns me to something like a super powered hero?” Niv tried rack his brains with the latest info dump.

“Why would you picture yourself as a superhero of all things?” Amelinda sighed. “The Zodiarm’s powers are a complex array of offensive and defensive abilities that use the person’s body and psyche to articulate their potential and bring out the best of the person who can wear it.” Amelinda protested Niv’s childish simplifications. It’s true Amelinda did compare Bracers and Zodiarms to computers but she felt I was more serious and inline with the topic at hand.

“But my Bracer turned into a lion shaped Zodiarm. And judging from that design, I was red in a lion shaped armor,my hands could even heat up like crazy.” Niv looked as his hands as had soft burn marks on his fingers. “Sounds to me like a superhero power.”

“It isn’t a bloody superhero costume or something like that” Amelinda started to fume.

“Hey,chill Linda, if that’s what he wants to see then it’s fine. It’s not like he chose it. He was chosen by it.” Edward tried to mediate the situation.

“You’re one to talk. You nearly ruined the whole operation by leaving me by myself!” Amelinda took the pillow Edward threw earlier and threw it on Edward’s chest. Causing him great pain and anguish.

“O-ouch,that hurt! You moron!” Edward complained.

“Good,cuz you had it coming after the stunt you did!” Amelinda accused her brother for being so offensively casual and nonchalant about all of this ordeal.

They started going back and forth like animals by shouting at each other, it seems like they had a lively kinship among their troubles.

“Hey,shut up you two! We weren’t done yet!” Niv yelled to cause both of their ears to pucker up. “You said I didn’t die but I was dying. What did you mean by that?” Niv had to play it cool and take charge in the conversation, if they kept at it,he might never get the answers he wanted.

“W-well,you see…” Amelinda tried to calm herself as she tidied herself. “The Bracer can only evolve to a Zodiarm if the one wearing it is alive and among the few testimonies we have, need to be in a certain emotional state to help push the wavelength of the Bracer and person to its peak. When a match happens, the Zodiarm begins a cellular modification of the body to prevent the person from dying. Thus allowing you to cheat death with what we can describe as an accelerated healing factor that can heal most of the damage you took.”

“So that explains why, I don’t have a hole in my chest.” Niv’s puts hands on his medical gown and he massages the area where the hole in his chest was, he noticed that the texture of his skin feels different in some areas,smooth to the touch compared to the rough and dry skin he is accustomed to. The sensation he felt as he touched his skin has caused him sweat again, and the nausea starts to overwhelm him once more. He reached for the bowl again and started to throw up in it some more.

“I see you are still recovering from what happened but it’s true. That creature pierced your heart and lungs before you died, your Bracer evolved to a Zodiarm and it saved you. A Zodiarm can only restore tissue,organs and limbs to an extent,so you probably need to recover from having your body return to its proper form.. So you might still be really weak from all the blood loss.

“I-I guess...” Niv tried to rest on his back but apparently he used all the strength he had for now.

Amelinda helped him back into bed. “I was a bit surprised that you acted so energetically when you got out of bed, but consider yourself lucky, you cheated death so you can feel like you want to die.”

“You got a terrible sense of humor, Ame…” He coughed before he could finish his sentence.

“Just try to rest for now. We can always talk later.” Amelinda tried to reassure him as she puts him to bed.

“Then one final question.” Niv asked as his eyes were closing. “Why tell me all this? Isn’t all of this of this information super confidential or something? You’re talking about it as people go through by the open door..”

Niv pointed towards the fact that he saw several people going by their day by the door that could potentially hear them.

“It sounds like you’re not taking this very seriously.” Niv tried to act a bit high and mighty as he crossed his arms.

“You remember how we said this is a private hospital? It means everyone has some degree of knowledge of what is going on. So talking about work here is commonplace. “ Edward answered as if he explained the obvious.

“Plenty of people who get injured come here, the first two floors of this facility is usually reserved for faculty such as Jericho staff and below while the third floor,the one we are on. Is usually reserved for more important people,like the director,his family,and even...Zodiarm users.” Amelinda pointed to his arm.

“Don’t forget that you are here under favor since you don’t work under us.” Amelinda reiterated. “But Jericho's don’t forget favors and will repay them as soon as possible.”

“Well.. since you saved me and my brother, I felt like you have the right to know. And that makes us…” Amelinda paused for a second but before she could continue he passed out. Snoring like a slob.

“I guess it will do for now.” Amelinda laughed to herself but a gross laugh came out of Edward’s mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re planning Amelinda, do you want to recruit him or something?” Edward inquired about her motives.

“I see no other choice. He matched and with some training we can use his abilities to gather the rest of the bracers.” Amelinda expresses her reasoning.

“I see,so you just want to use him. Typical of you.” Edward tries to get himself comfortable since even speaking is painful to him. “It won’t work, he isn’t like us, he has his own life to live and we can’t yank him out of it without full certainty he can be trusted.” Edward explained the obvious.

“Well apparently he trusts me somewhat, he followed my instructions when you went ahead to get yourself hurt like that.” she remarked on his errors once more.

“That may be true I screwed up but I don’t intend to string that kid along with our work,Father would be against it.” Edward tried to dissuade his sister from any further foolishness.

“I was planning to include the option of recruiting him in my report. I hope he will agree to the idea. Perhaps it will be feasible if we monitor him closely until Father can acknowledge his qualities.. But I assume he won’t be allowed into HQ right away.” Amelinda explained her plan. “And besides,since you are out of commission we will need to find you a replacement. I assume Father stakes a Zodiarm User is as good as any.”

Edward narrowed his eyes as he thought of a reply. “I won’t be able to object if Father thinks it’s a good idea.” He proceeds to wear a disgruntled expression on his face.

“What is it?” Amelinda asked her brother as she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What are you talking about?” Edward asked her in return when it appeared she was gawking at him.

“You’re unusually passive about this,you’d usually complain and oppose anything that doesn’t seem worthy or proper when it comes to operations.” Amelinda stated as she drew close to him,to check his forehead. “Do you have a fever or something?”

“Don’t treat me like I am an imposter or something!” Edward reacted accordingly to his words being taken lightly. “I made a bad call during our operation and I don’t feel like I have any reason to object to anything you have to say. I am trying to reflect on my actions so it won’t happen again.” he proclaimed as he tried to calm himself down with a bit of a bratty “hmph!”

“I’m actually surprised.” Amelinda gasped in awe. “I remember you usually don’t take kindly to criticism and can be really mopey about it. But right now you’re surprisingly mature about it .” Amelinda’s memories bring to her mind multiple instances where he would just act like a brat or even a bully when he used to hear criticism that wasn’t praise.

“I’m not a kid anymore,Linda. I have matured since when we were kids. And beside, my actions could have gotten you killed. But thankfully it didn’t come to that thanks to that kid--I mean Niv.” Edward’s eyes peaked towards the passed out Niv.

“My…” Amelinda’s voice trailed off. “It sounds to me like you really did grow up.” she smiled at her brother to support him.

“I know Niv is probably our best chance to handle the Rough problem but I also think it’s unfair to him. And call me immature but I feel like I don’t want to owe him any more than I have to.” Edward sulked as he rubbed his cheek. “If you really plan to use his powers to help us then you will pretty much end up a babysitter to him.” he paused as he looked her in the eyes. “Can you do that until I get better?”

“That depends.” Amelinda smirks at him. “Do you know there will be any Roughs left for you to catch?” she started to laugh pretty hard which caused him to laugh too,until he was forced to stop due to his ribs hurting him.

The two siblings didn’t always see eye to eye but they did appreciate and support each other, perhaps it was their way to cope with the fact that they no longer live a normal life and have to put their lives on the line. Their Father gave them an important task, to save humanity and in order to uphold it you need to give it your all. But a big part of it,is to remember what is it to be human.

* * *

-Intermission-

Later that evening,Niv felt his bed was shaking. The vibrations were incessant until it woke up right up.

He yawned himself awake and felt much more rejuvenated than earlier today so he looked at his side and he saw Edward reading some books.

“Ugh,what a nice nap…” Niv stretched his arms as he felt a small click in his body,giving himself some relief.

“Good evening.” Edward responded without interest.

“Oh,it’s that late already?” Niv looked out the window. “I barely ate anything since yesterday,I did buy snacks though…but where is my bag?”

“Bag? I don’t remember we brought you in with a bag.” Edward lowered his books as he tried to recall if Niv even had it with him to begin with.

“Y-yeah,I went to buy snacks and then I spotted Ben,so I chased him off to the parking lot, where-- Oh right,I dropped it there.” Niv recalls the moment his Zodiarm opened up,he dropped his bag on the asphalt

“We can just ask the clean up crew to get it for you. Later,They are handling Hydrus’s remains as we speak.”

“Hydrus? Clean up crew?” Niv asked with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t think about it too much. Hydrus is the code name of Benjamin’s Bracer since he had reptiliant properties and let’s just say that the mess we made has to be cleaned up by someone.”

“Now excuse me as I am going to sleep,my medicine is making me sleepy.” Edward replied as he reclined back gently to help himself relax,moaning as he moved.

“R-right,I will just leave the room. I have to make a call.” Niv got up from his bed as he looked up at his phone as he fished it from his pocket.

Around the same time of their conversation, the underground parking lot has been sealed off with quarantine signs,white veils, roadblocks and yellow tape for all intended purposes. No one would enter it beside Jericho's clean up team. A group of professionals that contain an area,pick up anything that can lead up to Jericho’s activities and dispose of evidence. Incidentally they are also incharge of recovering the Rough’s bodies and bracers to be picked up and delivered to the vault.

The Rough that was identified as Hydrus was larger than his human counterpart and required several people in order to use a stretcher to get him out of the sewer so not only does the sewer system can be cleansed as much as possible but that the corpse itself can be sterilized and contained for the purpose of further study.

One the body was brought into the parking lot through the giant hole in the wall caused yesterday few of the people sought to rest for a bit.

“Oh man,what is up with this one…” one of the clean up crew’s faceless yet very vocal worker expressed his dissatisfaction from pushing an alien corpse. I bet if i took off the helmet i’d die from diseases.

“Oh shut your trap, I know your new but keep the whining to a minimum,okay? I can’t hear myself think.” another member of the crew raised a complaint towards the vocal senior of his.

“I know you’re doing it for a few good years,chief,but I don’t get how you do it.” The newbie member asked. “Why do you do it?” he asked inquisitively.

“Some of us don’t have a choice, you could have just paid your debt some other way but you decided to work with us. I have to do it for life.” The senior crew member sighed as he did a couple of stretches,his back was killing him and he can’t afford to break it over this job.

“I got the pod ready,chief.” A third crew member brought a large containment unit. It’s the biggest one we had.” he said pessimistically as he looked at the size of the Rough, he would barely fit. “We got to ask the R&D to give pods.” he complained as well.

“I put in a request every time, they don’t listen or care. So just cram it in like a tuna and get going. They just don’t care about us cannon fodder.” Senior explained.

“I know I am not supposed to ask too many questions but why use the word cannon fodder?” the newbie asked. “I am just here to clear my debt,not to risk my life with this shit.” he shuddered as he gazed at the corpse and decided to kick it.

“Let me tell you something, the cleaning crew is mostly built of death row inmates. I can assume you can understand what we did before ending up here. This job is a bargain that we don’t get the chair but anything can happen with those freaks, the company doesn’t care what happens to us but you will see a paycheck at every 10th of the month if you act smart you can hold out until you can ask the court to perhaps erase your debt.”

“T-they all stuff like that?” The newbie asked with surprise.

“Sure,some people here did have a shave of a few of their offenses so I think you can get one too. So how about you move!” The senior ordered his younger subordinate to actually do this job.

“Sir,yes,sir!” The newbie went back to the truck,leaving the rest of the group of crew workers on their own for a second.

“Listen guys.” the senior draws their attention. “I like the kid but he needs motivation,don’t tell him that most of the people that got their shave didn’t live enough to actually get it,understood?”

They all silently nodded to avoid getting his attention.

“Let me tell you guys, I worked on a piece of shit Rough is something else, I don’t know if it’s the sewer water but this one is extra slimy. Now I need you all to lift him up one more time before we put him in the pod for good.

The crew gathered up around the corpse and started to lift it. Until suddenly one of them yells and drops the leg,all of the crew members did the same instinctively.

“What’s the matter with you?!” The senior yelled at his subordinate.

“I-i felt it move!” the subordinate yelled. “His leg muscles twitched!” he yelled as he pointed at the foot.

“What are you talking about? That fucker is dead. There is no way it would move,see?” The senior gave it a kick as if it to force it to move. He then points at it to show that it’s dead. “See?”

While in the back of the truck,The newbie was getting a special claw apparatus to help seal the pod while suddenly the door opened behind him.

“Oh,is that you chief? I am just done setting up the claw. I will be ready in just a minute.” The newbie answered with a slight whimsical tone.

The footsteps draw closer to him and suddenly the truck tilts slightly as the person behind him enter.

“Gee,boss,don’t be so impatient I will be right the-” as he was about to finish his sentence, he felt a large claw hold his head,tightly yet gently.

“Uh..boss?” The newbie tries to laugh nervously. “Are you pranking me?”

“ThIs No JoKe…” a nasty and slithery voice hissed behind the newbie’s ear. “YoU lOt ArE jErIcHo,RiGhT?” it asked the Newbie a question.

“Y-yes we are…” The newbie realized he is probably handling something dangerous. “W-where is the chief?”

“NoNe Of YoUr CoNcErN.” the shadow behind him bent over to the Newbie’s ear. “WhErE ArE tHe BrAts?”

“W-who?” the shadow didn’t like his response so it just bashed his head to the truck’s wall. Damaging the helmet and breaking it’s protective glass. Causing the man to cry in agony.

“DoN’t PlAy Me FoR a MoRoN. I kNoW yOu ArE aLl iN tHiS tOgeTheR.” The shadow started to strangle the Newbie. “WhAt Do YoU kNoW oF yEsTeRdAy?”

“A-all I know is that the people who handled the Hydrus yesterday are now at the Jericho Private hospital!!” The man cried as he held the hand that choked him. “I-i don’t want to die! Please!”

“TaKe Me ThErE…” The shadow threw the Newbie to the passenger seat. “No LoOkInG bAcK.”

The hysterical newbie positions himself at the driver’s seat and immediately starts the truck, putting on the first gear and stepping on the pedal as he clings to dear life.

The shadow closes the backdoors behind him as the truck leaves a horrible scene of bloody corpses,if you could even call them that anymore lying about on the asphalt just as he did not long ago.

* * *

♌ Chapter 3: A healing Lion Part 2 ♌

Amelinda was casually walking in the hospital corridor until she saw Niv talking on the phone in the balcony,she opened up the door and was startled as she heard a loud yell coming from his phone.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE IN THE HOSPITAL?!” The shrieking voice of Niv’s aunt blasted through his cell phone. Niv was finally able to make a phone call to his aunt around the afternoon. Apparently he felt so weak he had to gather both physical and mental strength to make the call.  
“I-i know and i’m sorry I couldn’t call you. But a lot of things have happened and I wasn’t able to call you.” Niv tried to explain the situation to his aunt but she wasn’t going to listen to him.

“What do you mean you weren't able to call me?! Did you get hurt in a fight?! Did you break any bones?!” Yona investigated her nephew’s activity as you can distinctly hear she is hitting something on the other side to soothe her rage.

“N-no, I didn’t get...b-bruised?” he blurted out of his mouth without thinking.

“Bruised?” Yona paused herself as she expected him to continue his explanation.

“W-well the thing that happened is…” Niv’s voice trailed off a bit. “I was walking by a an underground parking lot. A car came out speeding through the and almost hit me but…”

“But?” Yona repeated his word in a very testy tone.

“But a man saved me by pushing off the sidewalk and took the hit for me!” he nervously laughs. “Y-yeah,since the parking lot exit was a downhill road, when I got pushed, I fell down and hit myself in several places. Nothing major but thanks to medication I got I am all b-better! I called an ambulance for the guy and we evacuated accordingly!”

“Huh…” Yona’s voice trailed off as he tried to grasp the situation. “So where are you now?” Yona’s voice felt calmer yet way more frustrated than before, he could have just imagined her rubbing her temples as if she has a nuclear migraine.

“I am at uh...Jericho Private Hospita-”

Before Niv could finish his sentence,Yona let out another ear destroying “WHAT?!” in his ear.

“You can’t afford to call for an ambulance to a private ambulance! I can’t afford it either! What were you thinking? You could have just told the ambulance to go to any other hospital in the area! Do you remember the hospital you were born in?!”

“It was Ichilov,wasn’t it?” Niv asked with hesitation as he knew how she would react.

“And that wasn’t your first option to tell the ambulance driver?!” her reaction was obviously justified.

“I know I know but the guy who got h-hurt because of me asked to be brought over here. His dad owns the hospital.” Niv admitted the fact as he new it will get her even angrier but there is no stopping the train now.

“T-the director’s son?” Niv would have heard a genuine thud. “You got the director’s son hurt? We can’t afford a lawsuit,Niv…” she started sob.

“N-no please don’t cry,Aunt Yona, you don’t understand--” as he tried to explain the situation he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned around as he saw Amelinda looking at him with a mixed expression. One is concerned and the other is weirded out.

“What are you doing?” she tried to be as polite as possible but she couldn’t hide her annoyance from him making a ruckus.

“I-i’m trying to explain to my aunt what happened.” he puts his hand over the receiver. “I didn’t call her all day so i need to come up with some excuse for what happened.”

Amelinda’s expression turned sour seeing him trying to explain the situation so she just snatched his phone from his hand and turned down the volume dial a bit so she could put her ear against the speaker..

“Hello,are you Niv’s relative?” Amelinda answered in a calm and collected manner. “Please calm down Ma’am, Niv isn’t in any trouble.”

Niv was flabbergasted as he noticed she took his phone from his hand without any effort. “What are you doing?” Niv tried to ask Amelinda without being heard on the phone.

“Saving your butt.” she replied to him. “Who am I? I am Edward’s sister, the man who got hurt yesterday. yes,I appreciate your prayers. My brother only has a few broken ribs but nothing life threatening. You don’t have to worry about the money, we will cover the medical expenses for my brother and Niv. he did go through the trouble to save him.” she emphasised her words as she stared at Niv,causing him to back off a bit. “Listen, it will be wonderful if you come in the morning and we can talk all about the what happened, I know you are worried sick but I assume you need to collect yourself and rest, I know what it’s like for having a hospitalized family member so try to get some sleep and come in when visiting hours are on. Oh,you want my number? It’s 054-754..” it seemed like Amelinda got Yona to listen. They exchanged their contact info and then Amelinda ended the call with a small “Here you go.” she gently handed Niv back his phone.

“Y-yes?” Niv put the phone back into his ear to hear a more mellowed out Yona.

“I understand the situation now,it looks like the people you got involved with are reasonable so...I guess it’s alright for now.” Yona sighed with a frustrated relief.

“I-i’m sorry.” Niv apologized in consideration. “I called you first chance I got.” Niv tried to make sure his aunt is as calm as possible.

“It’s fine. I will see you in the morning and bring you a change of clothes.” Yona tried to sound a bit chipper.

“By the way…” Yona's voice trailed off.

“Did you watch the news?” she asked in an inquisitive voice.

“The news? N-no,I didn’t have a chance yet,did something happen?”

For a few moments there was no reply until she answered. “N-nothing. See you tomorrow sweetie.” she hung up before Niv could say anything else to her.

Niv could only have looked at his phone with bewilderment on how the call ended so he sighed as he slipped

“Next time if you want a cover up story, consult me next time.” she stated as she awaited his response.

“I-i’m sorry,I didn’t know what to say,I just had to call her otherwise it would have been messier later.” Niv admitted his actions but he really didn’t have an option. “You weren’t around and Edward was in his books. I didn’t think you’d even want to scheme like that.”

“It’s not scheming but planning ahead, Edward and I are used to making cover stories all the time in case something happens, don’t you usually give white lies to defend yourself from trouble?” she asked Niv as if she was asking something obvious.

“W-well,usually no...Yona is my closest relative and I don’t like lying to her…” he puts his phone back in his pocket. “I don’t want to lie to her but I know telling the truth would be a whole lot messier about yesterday.” Niv confessed his true feelings regarding the matter.

“I see.” Amelinda’s reaction was a bit more surprised than expected but she gave a small smile as well. “ I know the feeling, my mom died when I was born, Edward remembers her briefly but we had to grew up with a father who is in the head of a corporation. Hardly what you call a normal childhood, and if you throw in the whole rough situation. Our live from a work of fiction.”

“I know.” Niv chuckled. “It took me a little bit to recover from yesterday but it felt like a wish fulfillment to be able to transform like that.” Niv explained shyly as he played with his foot.

“What do you mean? Did you have a power fantasy that you were a superhero in a child? Is that why you called the Leo Zodiarm a superhero power?” she giggled even more.

“Well,that’s kind of part of it.” Niv’s voice turned a bit more serious and sad. “My mom and dad were part of a superhero duo on television called The Unyielding Lion. did you watch it?”

“Can’t say that I have. But I do have vague recollection of it I think.” Amelinda tried recalling by pointing her finger to her mouth but nothing came to her mind.

“Well,my parents were famous actors back in the 90’s but one day we were in a car accident because I...no,never mind.” Niv held his words tightly,causing Amelinda to tilt her head puzzlingly. “I lost my parents that night and all I was left with were their memories from my childhood,toys and video tapes. So the idea of helping people always sat somewhere in my heart…” he looked at the balcony view as he saw the street’s filling with street lights as the sun went down. “I know it sounds silly but I guess I got influenced by a kids show to save people. You can laugh if you want.”

Niv prepared himself to be laughed at but Amelinda simply nodded her head. “I don’t think it’s something to laugh about, it sounds like something you might be ashamed of since it’s so rooted in your childhood. But I guess it means a lot to you.” She said with a cheerful and encouraging voice,which caused Niv to blush a little and even smile genuinely.

“That’s nice of you to say. To tell your the truth I am surprised.”

“Surprised? How come?” she asked because she didn’t follow him.

“You’re nicer to me than yesterday.” Niv chuckled to himself.

“W-well…” she averted her eyes in embarrassment. “I was on duty and I had to keep an eye on you while fighting a monster! Just because I do my work seriously doesn’t mean I am always strict!” she raised her voice as if in retaliation for being caught off guard.

“Say, what if I told you could use your powers to save the lives of people,what would you think?” She asked in a propositional tone.

Niv’s eyes opened with surprise. “W-what do you mean?” he asked as he tried to avoid stammering.

“You are now the wielder of the Zodiarm, a powerful tool that holds infinite possibilities. I would like you to use it, To help us in our goal to collect the Bracers.” she explained as she changed her cheery expression into a more determined expression but not that of coldheartedness but of deliverance and purpose.

“Y-you can’t be ridiculous.” Niv shaked himself from his thoughts. “I can’t just become a superhero all of a sudden. This isn’t a show,this is real life.” Niv’s fist shaked as he tried to look at what happened yesterday and his memory for the shows of his childhood. “Being a superhero in real life isn’t as easy!” Niv raised his voice as tears started to flow from his eyes.

“I know that! I am not mixing up fiction in reality, but you are in a position to help others!” Amelinda clarified. “And I think that you should use your newfound powers to help those around you in any way you can.”

“I…” Niv was clearly apprehensive about it, after all he did suffer a lot of damage yesterday and only thanks to the Zodiarm’s healing factor was he able to live through it.

Amelinda just now realized this is probably isn’t the time she should bring up the subject and just waved at Niv dismissively. “Forget it for now,Niv. I didn’t consider how badly you felt about all of this…” Amelinda bowed apologetically. “I just thought about what is the right thing to do.”

“The right thing to do?” Niv muttered to himself as he looked at his Zodiarm which suddenly opened up “Clink!” and started to blink with fast consecutive pulses.

“Huh? what‘s the matter with it? It’s blinking.” Niv asked as he examined it. “ why would it do that?”

Intermission

A truck’s engine was humming as it sat idle in front of the hospital’s. There was no obstacle between the truck and the front entrance of the hospital. The nervous Newbie was shaking in his boots as he held the steering wheel as if he held for his dear life.

“I-i got you to the hospital...can you PLEASE let me g-g-g-o?” the crying man had glass in his face,he was bleeding as he barely saw the road ahead of him,he just wanted to go home, he didn’t care about his debt anymore, he just wanted to be safe.

“LeT yOu Go?” The shadow repeated his words.

“Y-yes! I did what you asked so please let me go!” the newbie pleaded,was willing to make any bargain just to save his skin.

The shadow behind him pondered for a moment,causing the Newbie to feel a bit lax but suddenly the shadow’s tail lapped around his leg.

“I wOuLd HaVe CoNsIdErEd iT If YoU wErEnT jErIcHo.” The shadowy creature forced the Newbie to push the pedal all the way through,causing the truck to accelerate. The man screamed in terror but even that didn’t last for long.

The truck’s destination was unavoidable. The creature knew his goal. He had to find the people who made him this way, he wanted revenge.

“ I”M COMING JERICHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO----” A loud and an unmistakable voice of came from his throat. A battle cry that would make any man hearing it petrified in fear.

♌ Chapter 3 Part 3 ♌

The hospital resounded a huge explosion that caused the entire foundation to shake, the Styrofoam ceiling drops particles and dust before a siren is turned off and the sprinkler system activates as well. Dosing Niv and Amelinda with water.  
Niv’s Zodiarm continued to beep louder and louder but then it just stayed turned on,no pulsing.

“We better get down there!” Amelinda said with bated breathes as she stormed downstairs,Niv following her in toe..

As they reached the bottom floor, they saw the horrific scene before them: A truck rammed into the hospital entrance. Causing a massive fire, dozens of people,both sick and hospital workers are either on the ground withering in pain,trying to drag themselves away or are motionless as the fire from the truck started to engulf the hospital, the sprinkler system wasn’t working too well here and the smoke was filling the floor as it became harder and harder to see.

From the truck’s wreckage a tall silhouette walked slowly as it made its way through the metal and fire that bound it until a second ago. With a sudden “WHAP” the smoke escaped him as he reveals himself to be human who previously identified as Ben Choldai, now known as Hydrus.

“I-it’s you!” Amelinda’s words escaped her mouth,causing Hydrus to gaze upon her.

The creature tried to speak but suddenly barfed something and then it started to cough as it appeared to have,cleared it’s throat.

“Oh,I can finally talk normally.” Hydrus gasped. “My throat is so sore I feel like it regrew or something.” as he emphasized the word grew,his slitened eyes locked onto Amelinda who wore a rather shocked expression on her face.

“H-how is it possible…”she muttered “How can you still be-”

“Alive?!” Hydrus asked as he held his hands in the air. “I don’t know,and nor do I care.” he said as he laughed to himself. “Where is the third one? The dandy arse who chased me to the sewers?” he questioned the duo as he gurgled in anger.

“What’s it to you? I won’t let you see him.” Amelinda pulled out her blaster from her harness,aiming at the monster.

“If I remember correctly…” he scratched his head as if he wasn’t exactly sure. “Whatever you shot at me yesterday,didn’t really hurt me...beside...that thing…” it seems like his memory was slowly returning to him,as if the events of yesterday vanished from his mind and now trickle down as he focuses on the specifices. “The fact you are pointing this gun at me...means you don’t have that…” he said as he smirked to himself, advancing towards her.

“Niv,I need you to transform! Now!” but Niv could only react with a small “huh?” as she pushed him away as Hydrus advanced towards her. She started to shoot her entire clip onto him but to no avail. It barely burnt him.

“You should have packed your big gun in your purse.” He slowly clamps his hand into the form of a fist and throws a punch at her. She quickly dodges by rolling on the floor. The moment she did that, she discarded the harness from herself as she took out another ammo clip from her satchel and pulling a knife from her boots and tries to cut up his arm in retaliation,causing him to flinch from the painful sensation.

“Argh...somehow that knife really hurts…”

Hydrus started to lunge towards her but she kept dodging. Causing him to crash into a wayward hospital bed. He gets up from the bed and throws it at her. Which she crouched as low as she could as the hospital bed flew against the truck.

“You’re not the first Rough I had to take down,and you won’t be the last!” She connects her blaster to her knife to make a more beefed up green holographic blade emit from the blaster’s base. Slicing him diagonally which causes him to stagger backwards, her offense continues as she her hands waved against his body, the holographic blade in her arm caused his skin to burn and give off sparks.

Niv froze in place as he saw her fend off the monstrous adversary,he knew she had special training but to see her dodge,counter and riposte like clockwork made him feel like this isn’t something he can do. When he transformed he could have only held him as she delivered the final blow. He just wondered if him transforming would even matter at this point,she clearly has it all in control.

“T-this is good” she thought to herself “He won’t survived if I slice his body to pastrami!”

As balanced as he was Amelinda finally saw a chance to try and cut his arm as his back was to the wall and she brought her blade down upon it,slicing the arm clean off. Causing Hydrus to scream in anguish. His tail whipped her on instinct as he flailed around the corridor. Causing Niv to scream her name to her as he came to her aid. “Are you hurt anywhere?” Niv asked her but she shakes her head as she observes her opponent.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! You bitch!!” he hollered as his tail moves erratically, causing the environmental damage as the ceiling above him started to break apart.

“Serves you right…” she spits a bit of blood that was on her mouth.

Hydrus begins to hyperventilate until he lets out a scream that causes him to heat up, he is engulfed in smoke as his screams continue. His severed limb begins to move and it looks like something is coming out of it.

Before Niv and Amelinda could figure it out, Hydrus has regrown his limb.

He looked at his arm puzzlingly as he begins to laugh. “I...I’m invincible!” he proclaimed as he felt victorious. “Nothing you can do will kill me!”

“I had my suspicions this would happen. Considering i blew his head off just yesterday. That bastard can...regrew any of his limbs at will!”

“I will deal with you later. If you two are here it means that the third one is also here. I got a bone to pick with him.” he growled as he grinned. Moving at an insane speed through the stairs.

“W-wait!” Amelinda tried to chase him but her leg got hurt when she got hit, which caused her to thumble.

“Niv,I need you to chase him.” she panted as she tried to get gain her footing.

“What?” Niv asked her bluntly. “You saw what he did,how can I even stop him?” he questioned the orders given to him..

“Don’t get whiny with me,Niv. Your Zodiarm is the only thing here that can stop it. My weapons don’t compare to it.” she sighed as she pushed the sword she used in his hands. “You are the only one who can do this.”

“B-but-” Niv stammered as he was clearly afraid,he wasn’t prepared emotionally for this.

“Listen to me!” she grabbed him by the collar. “More people will die unless you man up!” she raised his voice as she shaked him up. “My brother and everyone else in this hospital will die unless we stop him! Unless you stop him!”

Niv knew all of that but he grew hesitant and it made her frustrated to the point she headbutted him and then gently kiss him on the lips. Which ultimately caused him to stop shaking as he reacted in surprise.

“Now that I got your attention,do what I asked you!” she pushed him to the stairs. “Get going!!”

Niv instinctively followed the momentum of the push to dash up the stairs, he needed to catch up with Serpens because it won’t take long for him to find Edward,for some reason Hydrus’s urgency to see Edward was a higher priority than killing Amelinda and I. why is that? Niv’s thoughts were racing as he followed the destruction and dead bodies Hydrus left in his trail.

Some of the corpses were patients, some were doctors, others were just people who stayed here for one reason or another. Niv didn’t have the time to question if they had a connection with Jericho or not but he knew Hydrus had to be stopped but he felt doubt from the bottom of his heart surface, can he be the one to stop the monster? Can he really save anyone?

Edward and Niv’s room was on the 5th floor of this small private hospital,and there was only one staircase and an a couple of elevators for patient beds when Niv finally caught up to Hydrus around the third floor where he held a nurse against the wall using his tail.

“Where is Jericho’s son?” He threatened the girl as he crushed her thighs using his tail.

She tried to struggle as she kicked up a storm, trying to get away.

“Hey!” Niv screamed to draw his attention. “Let her go!” he demanded Serpens to stop hurting her.

“Hm?” he turned to him as he kept crushing her. “I thought I heard someone menacing but it’s just you.” he looked down unto Niv,both figuratively and physically as Niv stood his ground over a top of stairs.

“Why are you doing this?” Niv asked him as he picked up a tray and threw it at him.

“Don’t waste my time,brat. Look at me…” he replied as he picked up the tray that reflected his face like a mirror. “I am a monster, and it’s all his fault.”

“Whose fault? Who did this to you? Was it the same person who gave me the Zodiarm?” he asked as he brandished his wrist.

“Exactly, that asshole just wanted to see us squirm like lab rats but I am not playing his game!” he declared his war against the man that ruined his life. “I want to use that lad to get me into Jericho so I can trash it, and if i can find the man who did this to me,all the better!” the punched the palm of his hand as he cracked his neck.

“But you can’t hurt innocent people like that!” Niv protested Hydrus’s motives.

“Innocent? They are all workers of Jericho,including this girl!” his tail started to coil around her waist.

She started to shriek in pain as her nails chipped against his rough skin Niv started going up the stairs until he heard a loud “Snap!”

The nurse’s limp body hanged on his tail until he threw her on the stairs,over Niv’s head. Her body sluggishly slid down the stairs as it made a small thud.

“They ruined my life,I don’t need the people who keep Jericho’s men alive to prosper on my expense.” The creature snared as he started to laugh.

“Un...unforgivable…” Niv muttered as his body shakes with rage.

“Don’t mistake me for a killer,kid. I was killed first and you would have died just the same!” he pointed at Niv’s Zodiarm. “But you were luckier than I! You don’t have the right to lecture me!”

“I don’t care!” Niv charged towards Hydrus as he brandished his holographic sword,trying to stab him but Hydrus whipped him onto the floor.

“If you get up again, I will kill you.” Serpens said somberly. “You were caught up in this mess because of me,but also because of Jericho. If anything we are in the same position.” Serpens tried to show some compassion towards Niv, they both know he is an ordinary kid from an ordinary house that got mixed up in this. In a sense, the person who Serpens had his own right to riot and protest towards the injustice that was inflicted upon him.

“..but that doesn’t give you the right to kill people!” Niv stood up his ground as he turned the crest counterclockwise to open the Lion’s mouth,activating the voice signature identification system. “Roar with pride!” Niv’s announced the transformation sequence. Causing the Leo Constellation sphere to surround him. NIv’s hands move as they did when he transformed yesterday as he moved his hand upward. “Zodiarm!” he brought down his hand to the Regulus star as he was engulfed,it was even more blinding than before as it temporarily blinded Serpens.

Amelinda who slowly going up to stairs in order to catch up with Niv halted as she came into the third floor,covering her eyes to avoid turning blind.

As the light diminished Niv stood once more,armorclad but he now stood motivated to stop his opponent.

“You won’t let you hurt anybody else!” Niv declared,as the sword in his arm powered up,similar to the blades he used yesterday. The gentle green hue changed into a powerful red color. He charged towards the still recovering Hydrus and sliced his chest and tail accordingly as he followed it up with a punch to Hydrus’s face and kicked him in the stomach,causing him to roll over.

Serpen’s eyes started to adjust as he tried getting up. “T-this will be no problem once I regener-KUH!!” as Hydrus tried to heat up and regenerate his body,Niv pierced his body as he clawed a part of Hydrus’s chest like how you would brand a bull.

“I watched too many of these shows to let you rest! COME ON!!” Niv’s sword sliced through Serpen’s body as his claw removed a big chunk of his flesh,causing the monster to bleed all across the corridor.

“AH-AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!” he screamed deliriously. “Wh-what happened! You were about to piss your pants a moment ago, what changed?!” Hydrus questioned the situation as he tried to punch Niv and push him away but to little avail. While using the Zodiarm,Niv was practically above him in food chain terminology so Hydrus realized that Niv is about to pick him apart unless he does something.

Hydrus dashed towards Niv and pushed him against the wall.but Niv gripped his hands and started to apply pressure to Hydrus’s forearms, causing him to get down on the floor.

“Y-you think you can act big just because you got this armor?!” Serpens used his legs to trip Niv,causing him to slide on the blood pool Serpens left out for him. He started to mock Niv for his mistep as he stepped towards Amelinda and decided to use her as a hostage.

Niv gained his footing as he shook his head as he silently stood there as he saw Serpens playing the hostage card.

“I-if you want to be a hero and don’t let anyone die, then you will eat your words!” Hydrus tried to be boastful as he Niv started to walk towards him “D-don’t you care what will happen to her? If you agree to let me go,I will stop killing people! I w-won’t even take my revenge against anymore either!” he tried to bargain as Niv continued to walk forward as if he didn’t really care.

“Y-you don’t care if she will die?!” Hydrus asked as he stuck his claws to her neck.

“And did you?” Niv asked as his fists clamped in anger.

“Hm?” the monster responded in bewilderment.

“Did you care if the nurse die or not?!” Niv asked as he cracked his fingers. “Did you care about anyone you hurt to get there?!”

“I-I…”

“You’re not a snake...you’re a rat.” NIv looked at his left arm as he saw the Zodiarm started to beep frantically again.

“Turn it back to how it was!” Amelinda tried to help Niv but Hydrus blocked her mouth.

“You interfering woman! Die!” Hydrus readied his claws to lunge at her throat,ready to end her life.

But Niv started to run, run as fast as he could while he turned the Zodiarm as instructed. He heard a loud “click”. The Lion’s eyes spark with a red light

“Regulus Charge!” The Zodiarm proclaimed in a heroic manner. The red energy started to turn Niv’s entire suit into a glowing blur of mass as he moved so fast he punched Serpenes before neither of them could even notice it.

“Uh-EH?!!!?!” Hydrus exclimated in surprise as his hands let go of Amelinda and she avoids having her throat pierced but her face gets scratched slightly.

Niv started to throw punches to Serpens’s face and stomach in quick succession, at first it looked like a boxing match but it quickly turned into Niv punching him as if he was practicing on a sand bag.

A small distance was created as Serpens tried to escape him but Niv jumped forward and kicked Serpens using his knee. The impact threw them both through the corridor and towards the balcony and ended up colliding on the railings,the impact has damaged the railing pretty significantly so it will only be a matter of time before they will fall down to the road blow them.

“S-stop it!” Hydrus pleads as he pukes blood. “A-anymore and I will-”

“You will die?” Niv asked in a stone cold voice. “I am going to make a promise,Benjamin.” Niv looked down at the bewildered creature.

“Huh?” Hydrus tried to get away but Niv’s foot locked him into place.

“As long as I live, I will protect people from monsters like you. This I swear.” Niv kicks Hydrus in the stomach which causes the railing to collapse. Sending them both falling into the ground.

As Hydrus flailed in the air,Niv jumped from his stomach and pressed the watch Zodiarm on his left arm once more.

[Regulus Strike!] The Zodiarm announced.

“Take this!!”

Leo’s Zodiarm shined as he brought down his arm to Hydrus’s chest. Niv’s fist connected with his opponent’s body as it sent them both flying faster into the ground. Causing a small crater on the road.

Niv’s first finisher was rough but executed properly. Niv’s posture as he finished was what they call “Superhero Landing” as it rendered Hydrus’s body into chunks of flesh.

Unlike his childhood superhero shows, the monster didn’t explode upon defeat but the explosion was rather the impact of Niv’s power with the surface of the road.

Niv’s body shakes as he falls to the side of his body. Coughing hystrically as well. That attack damaged his body as well.Causing him to feel dizzy from the vertigo.

But just because Niv destroyed Hydrus’s body,it didn’t mean he was dead, he tried to crawl away but he simply didn’t have the energy to do it.

“D-damnit…” Serpens whispered as he tried to claw the ground behind but his arms went limp. Serpens’s upper and lower body were separated as the crater filled with black tarry liquid that can be assumed to be his blood.

Niv could only look at Serpens’s he fell on his knee,trying to catch his breath.

“I had a family you know?” the man who the monster used to be speaks out. “I wasn’t married,stayed at home with my mum. Didn’t even bother to pay my part of the rent.” he started to whimper. “It feels terrible to be snatched away from her like that. All because of him.” he muttered the complaints of a dying man.

“You keep saying him. Do you even know who you’re talking about?” Niv tried to talk but he was too dizzy to focus.

“A word of advice. Don’t trust Jericho or his men. They did this to me,to us. And they probably did and continue to latch helpless people like us for some sick game. Don’t trust them…” Hydrus or rather Benjamin let out his final words as he tried to reach Niv as his body started to disintegrate, or rather melt away. “Hey kid…” Ben whispered. “You talked big but you kind of did save me,didn’t want my mom to see me like that anyw--” before he could finish his sentence he disappeared from the crater,leaving only the Bracer falling the ground from his arm in a small “Clink”.

Niv could only pick it up as he looked at it with an empty gaze. “Is someone really out there trying to create monsters out of people?”

Amelinda did her best to follow up Niv on the crater and noticed Niv standing up on his feet. “D-did you get him?” she asked as she tried to

Niv’s helmet opens up as it went back to his suit. Exposing his tired eyes and ruffled hair. “Yeah,he’s dead.” Niv said softly as he tossed the Bracer in her hands. “Make sure it gets where it belongs.” he said as he limped until coming to a stop before her.

“I will help you collecting these Bracers. I don’t want to see people getting hurt like that ever again,I will do the right thing.” He said as he wiped his face,tearing up slightly.

“But if you will help us,you will see it more of this.” She answers him without holding back. Shooting up a serious and cold face.

“You’re wrong.” he forces a smile. “I will stop them before it does.” he gives her thumbs up.

“Well,let’s hope you can own up to your words then,it won’t be easy..” she smiled

“I understand.” Niv answered with a hesitant and crackling voice. “I will be in your care then!” he outreached his hand to her for a handshake.

Both of them were smiling at each other in an optimistically pessimistic smile as they locked their hands together in a firm grip and shook on it.

They didn’t know where they were headed by some sense of comfort came to them as they knew they had each other

The “smack” of their handshake resounded the empty yet ruined entrance of the hospital as the sirens of the fire trucks and police slowly approached the vicinity of the Jericho hospital.

However a third party was spectating on the event taking place,the handshake was captured in the eyes of an individual who looked at it through binoculars,similar to the ones that Edward and Amelinda used. The mysterious onlooker took off the binoculars as they observed the hospital’s condition.

“It was rough but it was all worth it.” They muttered to themselves as they took out a communicator. “Reporting on the condition of the Bracers, The Leo Bracer has evolved into a Zodiarm. The Hydrus bracer didn’t match and Benjamin Choldai has perished with no ability to regenerate again.” The way the person who spoke seemed like they were observing a lab experiment,no emotional investment at all. “Reporting back at once,I leave the rest to you..” the person who reported it released the button and returned the communicator to their pocket. Vanishing from the scene as they had arrived, without a trace of their existence.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Mighty unbreakable walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the conflict in the Jericho Hospital, Amelinda is forced to juggle many variant elements to make sure everything goes according to plan,Niv's life,Edward's incapacitation and her father's orders will make her take risky and dangerous decisions to all involve her.

Prologue:

Edward and Benjamin's fight ensued. Edward tried his best to fight him but he could only do so much. His bullets would ricochet against his skin and his sword couldn't even make a cut on his skin. In the end Hydrus came out on top and held Edward by the neck.

"My research has finally shown fruit. I can't be stopped here. Especially when Jericho is free to do as he sees fit." 

Edward tried to pry his enemy's hands off of him but alas. No amount of effort would help relieve him and help him breathe. 

"Since you're about to die. I will straight up tell you. Your father has a very dirty little project he keeps hidden from everyone. And the moment you aren't fit to be part of his plan. He throws you away. Just like he did to me. And just like he did to you.

Edward couldn't breathe but his mind,as hazy as it was. Could only focus on his serpentine words.

"I became disposable the moment I invented the serum that allows people to match with a bracer post mortem. It's a real game changer in his plan to assemble all 88 bracers. And the moment I figured the process of doing it,He made sure I would die in a matter of days. What he didn't take into account is that I had a dosage on me. Always make sure you can sell it hard to competitors." He snarled.

"But as for why you are disposable? Jericho sent you two on your own to detain two bracers? No back up? How -gullible- were you?" Hydrsus's laughter roared through the sewer system.

"To think Jericho would offer his own family as sacrifice for his goal. What a disgusting creature." Said the completely inhuman entity before who spoke to Edward,the sacrificial offering.

Is what he is saying is true? Did his father really set it all up to get rid of them all? Edward recalled how his own father hastily called them to perform the important task that led them thus far. Obtaining the two bracers at all costs.

It wasn't their first rodeo and they got the best training they could possibly have from Ella,it wouldn't be too wild to think they would be full of themselves at this point, being able to do everything to measure up to their father's goal to save the world.

Was it possible it was just a self-serving lie?

Edward felt his grip weaken as the last bit of air in his body ran out,he began to accept his death,until Hydrus's grip relented slightly as his attention was drawn to the small sewer way.

He heard footsteps were coming, it was possibly the two from the parking lot.

"Good. The more,the merrier. Be a nice bait while I prepare to kill them before I kill you. Enjoy seeing as I reap their life away as your father did into me." 

Hydrus released his grip from Edward's neck and used his tail to whip Edward's abdomen,he broke Edward's ribs in a swift flick of his tail. Edward flew to the center of the sewer intersection and land before the pain even registered.

"Enjoy your front row seat." Hydrus announced as he submerged himself in sewer water. 

That man was no longer the same,fear filled man that begged for his life. He was different. Like something took over him.

The memory was still fresh in Edward's mind. The pain is still tormenting his body. 

It was hard not to feel frustration towards the situation he was in. Anger towards the possibility his father wronged him even if there was no real reason for it.

And jealousy when he saw Niv don the Zodiarm armor and defeat the monster that inflicted pain upon him.

"It wasn't right. "

Something in Edward's heart tipped.

#  ♌ Chapter 3: mighty unbreakable walls Part 1 ♌

  
  


"Edward,wake up!"

Edward's eyes shot open. His sister tried her very best to wake him up without being too forceful. He felt like he was drenched in both water and sweat. His eyes moved to the clock beside him and he saw the hour was 1:30AM. Meaning he was asleep for a couple of hours but somehow he was sound asleep. 

As soon as he regained consciousness,so did his ribs began to throb again and she looked out the window,where he saw the rescue team working diligently outside their father's private hospital.

"What's going on?" Edward asked as he tried to readjust himself into a sitting positon,ignoring his discomfort.

"We were attacked by Hydrus."

"Didn't you kill him? Blew his head off in the sewer?" Edward raised his voice. He never heard of a Rough that could survive a direct impact to their brain. 

"I don't know. We are still looking at the details. I now understand his name wasnt for show but I guess even Father didn't anticipate he would revive so quickly. "

'Father didn't anticipate that? I doubt it.' Is what Edward thought to himself but he immediately shook his head as if to discard these kinds of thoughts. Amelinda might be correct.

"You alright?"

"S-so…" Edward continued his conversation with his sister. "Did he come here to fight with the kid again?" He tried to ask in a lighter tone. 

The fact they are talking means Hydrus is no longer a threat to them. Which means Niv probably made sure to kill him this time for good.

"No,he didn't come here to fight Niv..." Amelinda answered while holding her tongue,not sure if to continue.

He saw her expression but he just had to ask. "T-then why did he come here?"

"He was looking for you,Edward."

His heart stopped. 

Edward felt a chill run up his spine as he remembered Hydrsus's Visage,he was always so close to Edward's face,especially in his dream.

"Ed?" Amelinda asked her brother. She approached to touch his shoulder but he flinched and slapped her hand away. 

"I'm sorry…" she apologized while rubbing the red spot on her palm. "We can talk later when you feel better. I know you are under a lot of stress right now. " 

She made her way to the room's doorway but Edward's voice stopped her.

"Where is he? The kid." He asked as he looked out the window.

"You mean Niv? I am going to drive him home. He passed out after the fight and there is no place for him to be while we secure this place." She paused for a bit before heading out.

"I will ask a nurse to give you a change of clothes and move you back to the main house." Amelinda finally left the room,leaving Edward on his lonesome.

"Ahh-" 

He didn't want their conversation to end there but there was no helping it. She was also under a lot of stress since she had to deal with Hydrus again with her broken arm.

He could only curse himself for feeling so weak right now,but his mind is full of so many doubts. 

What was the right thing to do,what were the wrong things that happened. 

He felt like the weight of everything started to pile up on his soul.

  
  
  


Amelinda,as frustrated as she was,decided it would be better to talk later with her brother. It was rare for her to see him in such a state, they don’t have that much of an age difference between them but they only started knowing each other a few years ago. They are siblings but they don’t share the same mother,it is quite a complicated situation but as far as they know, they trust each other like regular siblings.

She leaned on the hallway’s wall and sighed as she tried to vent some of the stress out of her system. It didn’t quite work but she sure wouldn't mind trying. The last few days were really bad on her well being. A few days without sleep didn’t hurt her but all the fighting can really bring a girl like her down. 

Her phone started to ring with a rather blissful violin tune. She lamented she has no time to enjoy her classical music as she pulled it out and checked out the caller’s ID.

“Father!” she reacted in surprise to the name on the screen.

She fixed her posture and cleared her throat before answering him. “Hello Father.” she greeted him in a professional tone.

“Good night,Amelinda. I hope you are well.” a calm yet old voice came through the receiver. 

“I am,Father. Never better.” She answered bravely to ensure he didn’t find any weakness in her.

“Good,good. I was just notified about what has happened in the company’s hospital and I was ever so worried about what would happen to you. I would like to hear what has transpired since you made contact with the bracer bearers.”

“I am just about to finish my report before mailing you. I had to update a couple of things due to the attack on the hospital. It should be ready by mornin-.” 

“That won’t be necessary, a verbal debrief will suffice.” her father cut her off mid sentence,insisting upon his request.

“But,Father,you told us to never relay information on normal channels, and i can’t divulge too much information in fear that we get expos-”

“Amelinda!” her father shouted through the phone. Cutting her off and intimidating her. “I believe I told you to do something and I don’t want to hear your excuses. You’re a promising prodigy of mine so I won’t tolerate more of your disobedience!” 

Her Father’s aggression completely took her off guard. He wouldn’t usually speak to her like this but she knew it will be bad if she continued to disobey him.

“Yes,Father.” She answered reluctantly as she heard him clear his throat and reply with a “go on then.” in an angry yet more pleasant tone.

“After we disposed of the target wearing the Hydrus bracer. We evacuated Niv,The Leo Bracer bearer and Edward to the personal hospital. Around 10PM,Hydrus for some reason was able to follow our trail back to the hospital and wrecked havoc there until Niv stopped him once again,disintegrating hydrus’s body until there was nothing left but the bracer.I secured it and it’s now ready to ship back to the vault.” 

“Good,excellent work. A job well done by your cooperative work with the Leo Bracer bearer. What do you make of him?” he asked curiously.

“Well,he is just a teenager with not much training but he seems rather adaptive in fighting Hydrus so he may be useful for us.” Amelinda answered him in a more upbeat manner after getting praised by him.

“Good,I want you to continue to evaluate him. If you think he is an invaluable asset then we will escalate his involvement in our gathering hunts.” 

“I am about to send him home soon but I made sure to look up his contact info in case I will need to reach him.” 

“I understand, I am sure you can do well to help make him into a formidable asset in our plans to bring peace to the world, We can not afford a moment to spare if lives are on the line.” 

“Yes Father,although I do have some questions.”

“What is it?”

“Why is it that Benjamin defected? He looked so desperate and kept blaming us for his misfortune.” 

Her question was a reasonable one,she personally doesn't know a lot about what happened in the vault the day all the bracers were stolen so it always eluded her onto why it all happened. She never saw the vault in her own eyes so a lot of things were a mystery to her.

“Benjamin probably got greedy the moment we had a breakthrough in our research. Weaklings to the cause always seek to profit off the back of people who do the right thing. Just forget about him and continue with your mission.”

“I understand what you mean,Father but I can’t help but to think about--”

“I won’t tell you again,Amelinda. Focus on the now rather than the past.” Her father raised his voice slightly to assert his dominance. “I want you to come back here the moment you finish bringing him home. Dismissed.” 

He disconnected the call from his side as Amelinda was left with her line open,the phone beeps as it notifies her the call has ended.

She pocketed her cellphone with discontent as her Father keeps her on a “need to know” basis even if she is pulling her weight while gathering bracers.

But the ultimate thing that bothered her is…

“He never asked about Edward…”

  
  


———

Amelinda went to her car where she found Niv sitting his butt on the asphalt,drool escaping his mouth like he has no care in the world. Amelinda then had the unfortunate timing of remembering she kissed him earlier tonight so he would get his act together, was it necessary? Probably not, but she pretty much regretted it now after seeing his slobber like this.

“Hey,wake up.” she tapped him gently with her leg. “I am driving you home.”

Niv woke up immediately upon impact, he looked at Amelinda who had a pretty dismissive expression on her face which made him look in the car’s mirror. Seeing his salivating face. Making him wipe his face with his arm.

She reached for her pocket and pulled out a napkin. “Please don’t wipe it on your arms, it could smear on the seat covers.” she dejectedly unlocked the car as she went to the driver’s seat.

“Get in.”

Niv nodded as he wiped himself up,and got into the passenger’s seat,beside her.

“Put your address on the phone and let’s go.”

Niv silently input his home address and let the GPS make a route,the app said 20 minutes due to light traffic, so it was optimal.

Few minutes into the car ride and neither of them spoke. Niv sneaked a couple of glances towards Amelinda during the whole ride and he realized she was just a couple of years older than him but she looked like a straight up adult now. Her serious gaze and laser focus on her tasks. From the short time he has known her she was really adaptable in everything she did. It make her remarkable in his eyes but he also felt a little bit jealous of her. They grew up in two different lives so it would make it obvious the outcome would be different.

“You’re staring.” Amelinda spoke,causing Niv to look away.

“N-no I didn’t. My eyes were wondering because it's my second time riding in such a luxury car.” Niv tried to deflect her accusations,even though she wasn’t wrong. It’s just embarrassing for him since the moment he looks at her face,he remembers the kiss.

“Isn’t driving with one hard...dangerous?” Niv asks her as he points to the fact she barely has any holding on the wheel.

“My father insisted that I would be taught how to drive efficiently no matter the circumstances. He never believed in chafferons since it would dull the mind. So I learned how to drive no matter how many hands I can use.”

“No matter how many WHAT?” 

the way she phrased her sentence sounded like the number of hands she can use to drive can be zero.

“Considering the dangers I could go through,I wouldn’t want to be stranded in enemy hands. Please remember what we do is preemptively save lives. Not every Bracer collection has to end like it did today.” Amelinda made it clear that she wasn’t exactly spoon fed per say, but rather trained to become someone worthy of the family’s name.

The name Jericho comes from the city of Jericho,a place that had an impregnable wall surrounding it,making it a truly invincible fortified city. In the bible,Joshua’s people attempted to enter the city but were unable to do so due to the impregnable walls that surrounded it. Their only solution was to circle the city for seven days and blow their trumpets,and on the seventh day,the walls fell down as god decreed to them. 

It’s a novel story about being strong and courageous,but one would assume having the last name Jericho in that context would self defeat the purpose,but alas,this is only a biblical story with a moral to encourage people to be strong and courageous, to trust in the lord. But another way to look at it can be as such, Jericho is the only “wall” between the humans and the monsters. Jericho’s defeat would mean the end of humanity. 

It made Niv think that Jericho and humanity would fail only if God had decreed it himself. It sounded a bit rebellious and anti-religion to Niv but it made sense.

Niv was supposed to be a part of this Mighty unbreakable wall of Jericho now. He was supposed to protect humanity from those creatures that can endanger the lives of others but he hadn’t the faintest of clues on who they and what he was supposed to do.

“I-I wanted to ask you about…”

“Hm?”

.

“I said i’d agree to help you out with collecting the Bracers but I honestly still don’t know a thing about what I am supposed to do.” Niv admitted that even though he fought and won against.

“Which is pretty apparent. We didn’t tell you a whole lot either. Except from the basics of the Bracers and Zodiarm. And I am unsure how much I can divulge to you,after all you are still in an evaluation period.”

“Evaluation period?”

“In a way,I got the approval of working with you to collect bracers since we are short on staff and my brother is in the hospital. We need all the help we can get but we need to know we can trust you as well. If word gets out of all of this,there would be chaos in the streets.”

“So as of now I am like a gopher,helping you out with stuff?” Niv sulked since he didn’t like the idea of being used like this AND being kept in the dark.

“I don’t want to use that word but you’re not far. You just need to prove yourself to my father and he will let you in on more of our endeavors. I’ve been tasked to make sure you are properly trained and ready for any future conflicts that may require your Zodiarm.”

“Everyone keeps mentioning Jericho,or your father and I don’t even know who he is.”

“Abraham Jericho is my father and the owner of the Jericho Foundation. His company grew into a huge conglomerate when he became the CEO of the company in the 80’s by collaborating with various other groups like the Isreali Weapons IndustryI,Lapheral Advanced Defense Systems and the Israel Aerospace Industries and helping them enjoy a technological boom no country ever has. Do you know why that is?” Amelinda asked with a sudden grin on her face,as she was proud of her family’s repertoire.

Niv looked at his Zodiarm and answered with bated words. “He had some help from the outside?”

“Precisely. I don’t know all the details as I only found out about this lately but my Father came into the possession of aliens relics,although we don’t know how it came to be but he stored it all in a vault on an undisclosed site where only a select few can enter. He uses the tools he acquired to better mankind’s future through the study of said technology and science unknown to us.”

“Okay,I get that your family is amazing and all that. So how did it all go to waste and we have monsters roaming the streets that you have to clean up?” Niv asked her bluntly because if the situation is so great over there,then how come things went down such a bad way that people died earlier today in the hospital.

“That is...I don’t know.” Amelinda’s words trailed off in embarrassment.

“Come again?” Niv asked in surprise. “YOU don’t know?”

“All Father told us is that someone managed to break into the vault and make off with a large number of bracers. He says there is a mole and we need to be careful of what we say or else it will hurt us later. That’s why everyone works on a need to know basis,including me and including you.” Amelinda was definitely frustrated by the truth that even her father won’t tell her more but she understands the reason for the secrecy so she trusts him to point her on what she should do. Which is the same thing she is doing with Niv, she wants to trust him since he is doing a good job in her eyes.

“Anyway,this is the situation we are in,any other questions would have to be directed to my father when you meet him.”

“And when would that be?”

“When he says so.”

Niv groaned in frustration as he looked at his Zodiarm and he felt a conflicting amount of emotions. He loves the idea of helping people but it felt weird for him to have all this power and not being able to do any real changes with it. It felt suffocating.

But in reality he wasn’t a superhero,he was just a teenager. A teenager with an attitude who caught the glimpse of a way to protect his friends and family. Just like his folks did.

  
  


#  ♌ Chapter 3: mighty unbreakable walls Part 2 ♌

After a few minutes,they finally made it to their destination,Niv’s house. It was late at night but the house lights were still on. Meaning Yona was still in the house.

“Ugh,finally,home.” Niv jumped out of the car. “It feels like it’s been ages.”

“Not half bad.” Amelinda got out of the car as well. “But you said your aunt is the one who is taking care of you,so isn’t it really expensive?”

“Well,yeah but we still got some money from my parents and Yona doesn’t like living in small apartments since she believes in personal space and what not.    
  
“I see. Well. aren’t you going to show me in?”

“Show you in? What for?”

“Well,last time we talked to your aunt,she was worried sick about you. And I think she deserves a good explanation of what you are doing back home in the middle of the night.”

“AH,makes sense.”

“You don’t really think things through,do you?” Amelinda crosses her arms trying to figure out how Niv even breathes.

Niv lead the way to the house’s doorstep.

“Well,we can talk more inside,I am sure you could use the coffe-”

Just as Niv reached for the door knob. The door was already opened from the other side. Yona was dressed like she was heading out.

“Hi Yona.” Niv waved his hand.

“Awww Niv!” Yona pulled him in her arms and squeezed him up. “I was worried sick! I saw the news and I got all scared!”

“It was no big deal,I’m here aren’t I?”

“No big deal? NO BIG DEAL?” Yona’s affectionate hug quickly turned into a chokehold.

“My nephew got himself hospitalized and you tell me no big deal?!”

“Y-yona..Let go of my…guh.” Niv was trying to tap,saying he is giving up but Yona wasn’t releneting.

Amelinda could only watch in astonishment on how the two of them are interacting, this isn’t something she is familiar with. But as amusing as it was. “Aheam” she broke their dispute with a gentle throat clearing cough.

Yona finally took notice of Amelinda’s presence and dropped Niv onto the group.

“Who are you?” Yona approached Amelinda, standing infront of her, towering above her in height.

“My name is Amelinda,we spoke on the phone earlier in the evening.” Amelinda reached her hand so they can shake hands.

“I am Yona,Niv’s aunt. I am terribly sorry for all the trouble my nephew has caused your family. I am in your debt for bringing him back to me in one piece.”

“Not at all,we owe him a great deal as well. He saved my brother’s life so thank you for raising him to be a model son.” Amelinda gave a small bow to Yona,causing her to blush.

“M-model son?” Yona giggles. “I did try my best to raise him as best I could but I never thought i’d be told something like that.” 

The way Niv saw it, Amelinda did everything in order to butter up his aunt, the less objections or questions she will have, the better.

“We had a bit of an exhausting day so would it be alright if I excused myself for some coffee?” Amelinda raised her hands pleadingly. Trying to move the conversation away from the door step and into the house.

“O-of course! Do you have any preferences?”

The three of them have made it into the living room, the same room Niv encountered Benny who gave him the Zodiarm. It was a weird feeling to think a dead man sat in one of the seats in the house but there was little that there can be done about it.

Niv was in charge of making coffee for everyone so he absconded to the kitchen,leaving the two girls on their lonesome.

“Would you be able to explain to me what exactly happened and how Niv was involved?” Yona,after calming down a bit from all the excitement, decided to properly converse with Amelinda.

“Why of course. My brother and I were making our way back to the car after we finished our work nearby. You will have to excuse me for not divulging the nature of our assignment due to it’s confidential nature. Anyway,the car’s ignition was giving us a bit of a problem so my brother went to push the car outside and due to the car being in an incline,it caused the car to push back. Threatening to run over my brother,luckily your boy,Niv was able to save my brother by pulling him away from danger. My brother still got hurt due to the wheels but he was saved and given immediate attention so he is stable now, aside from a few broken bones.” Amelinda explained as proficiently as she could,to avoid any misunderstanding in her own fib.

“I see,so why was Niv taken to the hospital too?” Yona asked in a matter of fact manner since Yona didn’t say Niv was hurt.

“W-well,when it happened,I had a hard time to grasp the situation so I took it upon myself to take both of them,just in case Niv was hurt in any capacity. I couldn’t leave the person who saved Edward on the street like that. It would soil the family name.”

“So you took care of him to make sure there won’t be a scandal of the Jericho’s being negligible?” Yona raised her brow as she put her hands on the arm rest.

“I can understand it might have come as rude of me but Jericho do take pride in repaying the people who helped us make it this far. I might not be in the same position of my father but I do believe in his beliefs,and I believe Niv proved himself when he did his best to protect the family heir even though he had no personal stake in it.” 

“Well,hard to argue with that,Niv does have a tendency to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Coffee?” Niv came from the kitchen and placed two cups of coffee beside the two of them.

“Niv,can you go and shower? I want this conversation to be a four eyed one.” Yona asked him to leave the living room without looking at him,not leaving her eyes from Amelinda.

“But Yona--” 

“You heard me,Niv.” Yona didn’t use her ‘authority tone’ with Niv as often but when she did,he learned to accept it and do as he is told.

“Fine.” Niv sulked as he walked upstairs ”Is 15 minutes okay?”

“Yes, you can come down in 15.”   
  
Niv’s footsteps disappeared into the floor above, leaving only the two of them in the living room.

“Listen,Amelinda,I am very grateful that you kept Niv safe and even gave him a medical check up free of charge. But I don’t get why I didn’t call me before you decided to bring him home to me. I was just about to travel to the hospital to see what the hell happened there.”

“Even if we told you to come first thing in the morning?”

“Especially since you told me to come first thing in the morning. There was a talk on the news of not only Benjamin Choldai, the person who came to my house the other day and the report of an ambulance crashing to Jericho’s private hospital after Niv came there for a check up sounding like some really bizarre set of coincidences.”

“I don’t know who this Ben Choldai person is.I didn’t have time to look at the news, and I made the decision to bring Niv home due to the fire hazard of the ambulance crash, he is a healthy boy so there was no need to keep him there,with all the common of making sure my brother is safe and the ambulance I neglected to properly inform you. I am sincerely sorry for causing you anguish and distrust,but I have no intentions of making it any more difficult for the both of you.” Amelinda obviously lied since she expected Ben’s name to come up sooner or later, she had to lie through the teeth to make sure Yona thinks the two instances are unrelated.

“Okay,I will bite everything you told me so far but…” Yona took a minute to pause and drink her mug. “Why did you bring Niv personally here? You could have used a chaperon or something because you’re rich.”

“I merely thought it would be discourteous if someone else--”

“Cut the bullshit,I can smell it when someone wants something and you reek of it. So drop the niceties and tell me what you want.”

“Well,when you put it that way,I will get straight to the point. I want to take Niv under my wing as a part of the Jericho Technological Academic Apprenticeship.” Amelinda has passed her a brochure about the JTAA,an academic drafting organization within the corporate in order to give disenfranchised children who have potential yet luck the means to yield results due to their current situation that help give them better lives.

“So,he saved your brother and now you want to give him a better life?”

“An actual chance to make something out of himself at life,I am sure you know of the statistical success and hiring of youths who joined the JTAA and i can assure you that-”

“No.Deal.” Yona cut her off completely,she wasn’t having any of what Amelinda had to say.

“You didn’t even hear the rest of what I have to say.”

“And I don’t want to. Niv has a lot of things to do when it comes to his school life,he is behind his studies and if you think I am going to let him work for a corporation as shady as Jericho then you’re kidding yourself.” Yona crossed her arms,making her point abundantly clear.

“I can understand your overall concerns, Niv is falling behind in class, you are probably working yourself to the bone to make ends meet ends. You probably engorge yourself in his well being and you don’t have time for yourself. I can help you two.”

“It sounds like you dug around,typical Jericho.” Yona scoffed in a repulsed manner.

“I don’t care what you think about me or the company but Niv has proved to be a valuable asset to Jericho and quite frankly,I can’t let him walk.” Amelinda smiled mischievously at Yona. “And I will do everything I can to make sure I get what I need.”

“What the hell could you want from a 17 year old? He is still a kid.”

“He has potential. Something I have grown a keen eye to.”

“And what would we get in return? I would kick your ass out the door if you ever think of coming to my house and offering me peanuts for my only living relative.” Yona was fuming,she was this close to strangling Amelinda where she sat,but she had to keep it civil. Since she was still a guest. Still.

“I can offer you anything you could want as long as it means I get your consent. You want to own this house and not pay monthly rent on it? It’s pocket money for what I need. You just name your price for what it takes for you to consent to put him under my wing.” 

“Is the work you want to put him through is anything dangerous?” Yona asked,feeling extremely disgusting for humoring the thought but she couldn’t deny she was curious.

“As dangerous as any typical work can be. But we have strict work regulations,nothing bad will ever happen to him. You have my word.” She lied once more like a snake but it’s was a half life. Niv’s body as of now can regenerate itself to the point of being pristine,he would might as well be a geko since no matter what he will go through, his body will regenerate,as long as he is alive.

Yona pondered to herself for a few solid minutes, on one hand she didn’t trust Amelinda or Jericho at all. Usually corporations aren’t as generous so the whole thing stinks really bad. But on the other hand, shilling so Niv can have a promising future isn’t a bad idea. She will have some load lifted from her and perhaps Niv can flourish in better conditions.   
  
She hated the idea of submitting to Amelinda but it wasn’t about what Yona wanted, it was about what Niv needed to live a respectable life and far away from the unbalanced showbiz life his parents had.

“I am willing to agree for you to take Niv under your wing as an assistant or whatever,however,I have a few conditions that must be met.”

“Do name them,please.” Amelinda smirked.

“I remember that the JTAA has a prep school department so I would very much like that he will go there before he goes to study,even you would want to see if he is proficient enough to study there,Niv will suffer if will drag his feet there.”

“Consider it done,it was obviously our intention to put him through the program and see how he does.but quite frankly I wouldn’t want to give up on him.”

“I also want him to focus on current studies as well,so don’t confuse him with material he doesn’t need.I want him to at least finish his highschool in a good term and even have a matriculation diploma.

Amelinda took out a notebook and started to write down Yona’s demands.

“Anything else?”

“Just keep him safe, he is the only one I got left.” Yona started to cry as she covered her eyes. “I was so scared of losing him in the last few days,I want him to come home as often as possible. I don’t want him to disappear on me again.”

Amelinda stopped in her place as she realized something grim.

she basically coerced Yona into cooperation. Obviously it is a business man or woman’s interest to strike a deal with other parties to gain what they want. And this was the first time she did it with anyone for that matter. A part of her felt disgusted since she looked like those business shark bastards from the movies she used to see and even the people in the company’s board were utter human filth.It wasn’t her intention press Yona so hard with all these lies and schemes but she couldn’t as really tell her what really happened. Amelinda wanted to tell her the truth but she knew it would have repercussions, but she couldn’t. It would risk her life and if she would be hurt,Niv would be ruined. Amelinda needs to make sure Niv is ready to face the hurdles that await him.

It’s for the betterment of mankind,afterall.

“I promise that we will take good care of him, I know you don’t have a lot of reasons to trust me or the company but we do have good intentions when we want to bring Niv into our fold. But are you sure you don’t want anything else?”

“No,Niv should keep what he earns, it has nothing to do with me.” Yona rubbed her eyes,calming herself down.

“I see. Then I will do everything in my power to make sure Niv will benefit from his relationship with Jericho.for as long as he stays with us.”

Amelinda reaches her hand for a handshake towards Yona,Yona on the hand was hesitant but eventually reaches out to shake her hand as well.

“It will take a while to file all the paperwork but you will receive a copy so you can make sure you are familiar yourself with the ToS.”

“Fine,I will look forward to it.”

“Also,I do believe we started on the wrong foot due to the circumstances but I would love to build a more trusting relationship with the two of you, I know you have no reason to trust me but I do believe we can do better.”

“Do better huh?” Yona got up from her chair and went to the pantry beside her. She pulled out a rather expensive Remy Martin XO cognac. “One thing I learned from my troubled life is that you can get to know someone by making them drink,so we are going to drink.”

“I-don’t know if I should drink,I am driving and i am on paikillets” Amelinda focusses Yona's attention onto her cast.

Yona just placed a drinking glass in front of Amelinda without saying anything and poured the cognac into her glass.

“Then I will get you a soft drink.” 

Yona makes her way to the kitchen and pulls out

Their cups clanged together as they both gulped down their drinks,exhaling as they enjoyed Yona’s alcohol stash.

  
  


#  ♌ Chapter 3: mighty unbreakable walls Part 3 ♌

Abraham Jericho was watching the news live broadcast of the Jericho Hospital accident with grimace in his luxurious office covered with beautiful tapestry and remarkable wooden wall patterns and checked floorboards. Just entering into his office feels like you would be a piece on a chess board. Jericho was a man in his early 60’s, the lines of his face were very defined as the hair on his head was starting to recede, the bread he grew compensated for it. The man was no frail by any means but it doesn't mean he was a push over.

“Utter incompetence,look at all this mess.” The prestigious figure head of the Jericho company ran the numbers in his mind on how much he will have to pool into making all of this go away. Abraham was a man of many secrets and he had no intention to let even one of them slip from him. He inherited the company about 40 years ago and ever since he did,he steam rolled the competition when it comes to technological development in house and overseas. There was nothing he couldn’t do but he knew he can’t strong arm everything, sometimes you have to placate the public or outright lie if it means achieving your goals since it is his role as the protector of current society from threats that aren’t human.

He could care less about the war in the middle east or struggles between rival countries, his purpose was bigger,grander than any simple politician can grasp.

“Excuse me,Mister Jericho.” A prim and proper yet anxious secretary approached him 

“What is it,Bat-el.” He answered with an exhausted tone,never moving his eyes from the feed.

“The board is hard pressed by the actions of the surveillance crew in the last few days. They wish to speak with you in regard to what they should do.”

“What are they,infants?! Must I tell them what they should do every time something happens? My god,my own shareholders are practically IMPOTENT!”

Jericho slams his table in frustration, in order to make his goal a reality, Jericho had to convince many politicians and rich people to invest in his company amazing amounts of money in order to not only fuel the technological research department but to also cover up and fix any damages done on israeli soil. But lately,a lot of them have been getting cold feet, once they were told the Bracers were stolen from the vault and now people and running rampant in the streets as monsters have suddenly become and inconvenience for them since in order to save humanity, they need to pool their money that in no way shape or form benefits them.

“I will address the board in an hour or so. I need to prepare myself to talk to those tycoons and politicians who insist on covering their asses.”

“Yes,sir,I will inform them all right away.”

“Very well.”

Jericho has returned to his seat, trying to calm down as another knock on the door.

“What did forget Bat-el?” Jericho’s words boomed through the room,making sure the person on the other side heard them.

“Sorry,chief but it isn’t your secretary.” a raspy voice of a woman came from the other side of the door,letting herself in.

“Oh,if it isn’t Ella. You didn’t waste any time coming back.” Jericho’s voice was overjoyed seeing the young woman.

She was about to hit her thirties, she had large,flowing white hair tied to a ponytail that went down to her back. She wore a black shirt that said “Jericho Security” on it and the shirt was basically stretching due to her muscular build. Any body builder would feel feeble in comparison to her chiseled her orange-like skin look. Her exposed arms had various signs of scratches and blue spots that shows she was recently in a fight.

“Yeah,it took me a while but here you go. ‘Musca’ and ‘Crater’ bracers.” she dropped off two absolutely damaged bracers on his table. But they still seemed to function. “I hope I didn’t break them or something.” she sighed with some simmering frustration.

“It will do,Ella, I know your strength is not something to be trifled with so I have grown accustomed to you leaving a trail of destruction as you go. But your strength and skills are the most precious asset in collecting these Bracers.”

“Cool,so what’s our tally as of now?”

“10 with one on them,Hydrus,which is on the way here as we speak, and another is a Zodiarm who matched.”

Ella whistled. “So we finally got a match? Who got lucky this time?”

“A boy my daughter is recruiting, his name is Niv,I have his data right here.” Jericho slide her a folder with everything they could possibly know of him from birth,medical records and even academics.

“So he is a civie huh? A shame,I would have loved to see how his Zodiarm fares in a fight.”

“Which is part of the reason I want you to train him, He will need combat training in order to reach his full potential.”

“You say train him but I might break the poor kid,I ain’t going to jail for it.”

“You don’t have to worry, the Zodiarm he is using, Leo, has one of the fastest heal factors among the Zodiarm users. He won’t break unless you actually get serious.” Jericho smiled,attempting to rile her up.

“You know how to press my buttons old man. I’m your gal. But don’t say I didn’t want you beforehand.”

“You don’t need to worry,This kid has already beaten Hydrus,so he won't have a hard time getting trained by you.”

“You said Amelinda is recruiting him,right? I will go talk to her later. I want to rest up for now. The fight I went through was rather exhausting. Did you ever try to hit a fly with you punches?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Those little shits can read your moment so well,right? So fighting a human sized one was absolutely nightmarish.” Ella looked into her arms with frustration,it was in her nature to enjoy a good fight but she never liked it when someone was dodging her attacks. It really riled her up.

“I understand,and how is your Zodiarm fairing?” 

“I uh...chipped it again.”

“From my understanding,the word chip doesn’t begin to cover it. My R&D staff keeps saying they need to fix and reforge your equipment every time you deploy.”

“Well,it wouldn’t break if your staff would do a decent job with the feedback. I can’t use my full strength like this.”

“Then stop by R&D before you head home, we need to combat data either way.” Jericho dismissed her as he placed the Bracers in his care.

“Fine,fine,see you later then.”

Ella left as she came in. it left Jericho exhausted since that woman was an absolute storm.

Ella was recruited about a year ago due to her extraordinary strength and stamina,she matched with her bracer in a matter of minutes. It was like she was an apex example of what kind of a person can be considered a worthy match for a Zodiarm. He would have been blessed if he had few more members with her potential and combat prowess, but he would also dread how badly they would botch things as they completed their missions.

Before Ella came to Jericho’s attention she was known as a street brawler, she would fight people day in and day out, sometimes for money,sometimes for the heck of it. And she never found a worthy opponent. One of the reasons she joined was to seek someone stronger than her and test her mettle against them. The other reason,was more personal than most.

People who join Jericho are people who usually lost something or someone, and they want to make sure others don’t have to experience the same thing,Ella wasn’t the brightest of the people in Jericho but her heart was full of righteousness to do the right thing. Jericho needed people like her to make his cause a reality. And he had the same expectations of Niv and he would test the ins and outs of his person to make sure he has what it takes to become a protector of humanity.

\-----------------------------------

Ella was exhausted be she made her way to the R&D department in the lower basement of the building. In reality there were several buildings to Jericho, one of them would be the main building which Jericho usually resides, the other is a armament facility in the south that resupplies Lafarel anti air missiles and the third would be the Vault which almost no one has any access to,it is the place where the Bracers are being kept and was overhauled after the breach happened.

Ella always felt it was strange since they never saw the breach happen but she trusted Jericho when he asked her to help collect the bracers which somehow find themselves into civilian use. It cannot go on, not after what she experienced. The fact that people cause havoc using the bracers was a good enough reason to do as she was told. The ifs and buts don’t matter.

Upon arriving to the R&D department she saw the entire place was empty and desolate,aside from one station that was making a lot of noise and lights come out of it.

Ella recognized the place the whole noise was coming from and was filled with mischievous glee. She sneaked up on the work station and found him there,

A slender man in a lab coat,his face was covered with a face protector as he dealt with extreme light sources,his hair was long and blonde,pulled back so it won’t interfere with the mask.

Ella always loved to mess with him and this is why,

“WORKING LATE AGAIN,BARAK?!”

“AHH” The man was frightened inteensely as Ella’s scream jumped him out of his concentration.

“Oh great,you’re back.” the man she called Barak lifted up his mask. Revealing a set of narrow and tired green eyes. Looking at Ella with complete annoyance. “What do you want?”

Ella reached the hand with the Zodiarm to his face,drawing attention to it’s battered state. :I need a fixer upper!” 

Barak looks closely at her Orange Zodiarm,it had an emblem of a ram on it,meaning it was the Aries Zodiarm.

“You really did a number of it this time. Luckily it doesn’t look like it is the end of the world for it. Bring yourself to the seat over there,I will start working on it.”

Barak has made Ella place her arm on a table as he brought his maintenance gear and started prodding some miniature points in the zodiarm to cause it to unlock on it’s own.

“So,what were you working on there? Is that another Bracer?”

“It’s the Sagitta bracer’s core.”

“It’s core? Didn’t Jericho say you aren’t supposed to touch the cores?”

“True but I have a theory,you know how the Bracers and Zodiarm,for some reason,based on constellations,right?”

“Yeah. you guys keep talking about that.” Ella talks as if trying to remember something, she never had a liking to technical speak but she knew she had to remember some of it to do her job.

“Well,if you know your constellations then you know how some star groups compliment each other when it comes to their location in stars and when it comes to their mythos right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I thought to myself,what if you can use adjacent bracers with each other? Like Canis and Canis and Ursa for example. Can we somehow make them stronger?”

“So you plan to try to use Sagitta with another Bracer to make it stronger?”

“Yeah,we don’t have the Sagittarius Zodiarm yet so i figured I might as well start working on a prototype for when we do.”

Barak removed the Aries face lid to expose a complex array of inner working circuitry, something no human can replicate. And he began to poke various places in it as he checks for hardware faulty.

“I am resetting the Zodiarm,I need your voice print authorization.”

Ella sighed. “Hamal.”

“Zodiarm,resetting,entering system check mode.” Ella’s Zodiarm announced with a mechanical tone.

Several nods inside the Zodiarm have shown an array of both green and red color dots. Showing him what the faulty parts and what the functioning ones are.

“What are the chances of your prototype to work?” Ella asked as she placed her other hand on her cheek,feeling the boredom creep on her.

“Wouldn’t know for sure, I will only know the moment I will have two matching Zodiarms. It could take forever.”

“Say,does Aries have a matching Zodiarm? Maybe you can make ME stronger?” she jumped in excitement,holding his shoulder as she expects him to answer in bated breathe.

“Don’t touch me while I work.”

“Ugh,sorry.” she retracted her arm in embarrassment.

“As far as I know Aries doesn’t have a matching Zodiarm to work with so I don’t think it’s possible. And beside, you’re plenty strong already.”

“Y-you think so?” Ella blushed slightly.

“No one wrecks our gear as well as you do,so I dread if you were to become stronger.”

“Oh you~ such a smooth talker.” Ella slaps his arm as she was being compliment for her strength, if it was Barak’s intention to compliment or insult her didn’t really matter to her.

“Hand.” Barak rubbed his arm after she gave him a slight bruise.

“Oh don’t be such a wimp,I can train you so you can have a tougher bod. The kid who has the Leo Zodiarm will join us soon so you two can train together.”

Barak stopped working on the faulty areas as soon as he heard she utter the name Leo Zodiarm.    
  
“I feel very lucky.” Barak grinned.

“Hm? What’s wrong? Did I say something bad?” Ella asked with slight concern if she was being tactless again, Barak was a very sensitive person and she tended to try and avoid upsetting him. He is pretty much the only person who would agree to do maintenance on her Zodiarm.

“Nothing,come on,I need you to transform so i can work on your armor.” Barak stood up after closing her Zodiarm and returned it into it’s default state.

“Okay,here I go...Pulva-Rise!”

As soon as she announced her transformation keyword,she was surrounded by a spherical as the stars that form the Aries constellation appeared before her. She swiftly moves her hands through each and every one of them with ease,finalizing the transformation sequence as she is engulfed by light, and in the end,the light sphere breaks as Ella emerges from it,in full blown armor fit for a person recognized by the Zodiarm. However, her Armor was a total wreck,scratches,broken parts and her shoulder parts and protective parts of her arms were completely missing.

Barak was used to seeing her transform but he was never able to stop his depression from showing whenever she came for a fix.

“Alright,this can take a while so do try to hold steady.” Barak made her do a out reach her other arm as he started to work on the faulty areas.

“So...if i recall correctly, you said you are also working on a targeting system for Lafarel,right? How is that going for you.” Ella asks him about his life’s work in order to distract herself from the fact that he is being really close to her bruised body. It’s not that she minded but it was still making her conscious.

“Oh that? I am supposed to do a presentation to their head of research staff in like a month. I am this close to working out all the kinks from the program,but then I have to see how it works into the smart missile prototype I have.” Barak explained to her as he replaced sine parts in her arm’s energy transmitter.

“I see,but..can you remind me what that missile does? I kind of get lost,every time you explain it to me.”

“Ha..The missile is supposed to be a more advanced anti projective defense system, what it means that my tech can have the power to hit targets more efficiently and with no margin for error. At least that’s what the virtual tests show me. When we optimize the missiles according to the program then we can better protect ourselves from projectiles that come from outside the border.”

“But wouldn’t it be better to build rockets that hit the enemy better and stronger? Self defense isn’t going to win a war.” Ella asked a really good question.

Being able to protect ourselves is important but it won’t make enemy attacks drop even if there is a margin of success that they can succeed.

“True but,I decided to my knowledge to protect mankind,not hurt it. It’s true missiles can be used to kill but they can also be used for travel. My targeting program can also help minimize computer processing when it comes to space travel,helping astronauts have an easier voyage and what not. The people are Lafarel wanted something that has military application and I feel like using my life’s work to protect the people of my country is a good start to make them trust my knowledge.” Barak explained as he closed the transmitter circuit,and seeing that her arm is functioning properly.

”alright,now turn your back to me.”

“O-okay.” Ella turned around and lifted her hair as he opened the circuitry on her armor’s back. 

“Since you didn’t hear about Leo Zodiarm,did you hear about Hydrus?” Ella asked while trying to turn her head,to see Barak,she never liked not looking at the people she is talking but Barak just straightened her up so he won’t mess up his tinkering.

“No,I was too busy with my work to read reports,god,if i had the time to read every report coming our way,i’d never be done with work.”

“I heard it was Benjamin,remember him,right?”

“Benny...?” Barak’s words trailed off a bit as he realized a co-worker of him has died. “So that’s where he gone off? Been missing for a couple of days now. His family must have been worried sick.”

“You don’t sound like you care about him.” Ella frowned on how cold Barak’s words were.

“Well,we didn’t really get along but his knowledge in alien chemicals,viruses and antibodies is bar none. I never figured he would match with a Zodiarm.”

“Well,the thing is he didn’t.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Barak lifted his protective headgear to look at Ella from up close,causing her to fluster up.

“W-well,Amelinda and Edward’s report said he ingest the content of a vial before he mismatched and he still turned into a Rough even though he kind of died on the spot.  Also you’re kind of close,not that I mind but-- ”

“Right,sorry.” Barak flipped his protection headgear back on and continued to work on her back.

“Interesting,so he found a way to circumvent the matching process altogether? Fascinating, if we learn more from the contents of the vial we might have the ability to make using the Zodiarm usage completely safe to 70% of the people who try to match it. Scratch it,maybe 40%. Did the report say anything about any abnormalities?”

“Well,the report said that a lot of black goop came out of his body,which crystalized on Ben’s body until it enveloped him,causing him to become a monster,he later was able to come back to life even after having his head blown off by a COMET.He was still conscious and intelligible compared to other Rough’s”

“I see,so the vial doesn’t prevent the body’s degradation and cellular reconstruction but keeps his mind intact,or most of it, hard to tell from Ben turning himself into a human guinea pig. So how did they dispatched of him? I am sure the old man will want us to rework how the COMET works if roughs can just walk off a 50K dollar round.”

“Leo got him, he used his elemental flame to incinerate him until Hydrus’s core gave out. Slamming him RIGHT into the hospital’s entrance road.” Ella imitated the grand slam with her and made a POW noise. 

“I will have to look up into Leo’s armor specs,we can learn a great deal of it. Very good news.” Barak continues to tinker with the circuitry along the spine’s armor. “What luck,the back’s configuration is mostly fine. So turn around and let me work on your chest armor.”

“Huh? Already?” Ella was caught by surprise. “I-i’m not ready for that.”

“You say that every time,turn around.” Barak flicked the back of her head with his finger.

She turned around and averted her eyes as he started to open up the panels in her chest plate.

“Aren’t you embarrassed? You’re a guy and i’m a girl.  I mean I don’t really mind but-- ” Ella’s voice trailed off until it was inaudible.

“You punch harder than the rough’s we try to capture,if anything you’re a huge mass of physical violence. And I was assigned to make sure you can do your job.” he flicked her head again. “You can worry about the sexes when you’re with someone you actually like.”

Ella only could have pout at Barak,that situation felt like it was straight out of a romantic comedy,she thought that maybe using some cliche tropes she saw on TV can help her woo him but he is just dodging the bullet. The anger in her brain made her think he’d either die alone or make a robot to himself than even try to woo her back.

While tinkering with the middle plate that was right below her collar,one of the circuits overloaded and shot a spark inside the suit,causing Ella to yelp in pain.

“HOLY SHIT THAT HURT,what was that?” Ella shouted as she used her arms to shield her chest from his tools.

“I guess one of the parts is causing faulty energy fluctuation. But it isn’t on the main panel I am working on. It’s probably on the internal compartment that links to the core.”

“So you want me to take off the plate?”

“Please do,I don’t know what would happen if I don’t fix it right away.”

Ella pressed the safety button on the back of her nape which caused the chest plate the collaps infront of her,exposing more complicated machinery. The Aries Core to be exact.    
  
It’s hard to explain but the Zodiarm’s core crystal will move from the arm into the chest of the wearer’s body and will be responsible of energy distribution and if Ella got jolted then it means some area got damaged internally.

Barak inspected the power lines inside the chest plate using a diagram he made early on and he noticed the problem.

“Ah,there we go.” he tapped the area near the Aries Crystal. The crystal containers to be exact. “You probably overloaded the crystal to the point it fried the energy pylon. Your fight really did a number on your suit huh? Was it that strong?” Barak asked with intrigue.

“Well,I barely touched Musca,so I think it was when I fought Formax?”

“Formax? That’s two weeks ago.you mean to tell me you ran off to do fuck all without doing maintnance on yor armor?!” Barak reprimaded her like a parent would to a child.

“I-i mean,you were at Laferal and it didn’t really bother me so... I thought i would wait. ” Ella poked her fingers together as if being silly about her confession.

It left Barak quite agape

“You do know you could have leveled an entire city with this faulty parts,right?”

“But I didn’t~ which is why you get to give me a fixer upper~!” Ella said chipperly as she placed her arm on him. Being all chummy.

“ I want to sleep for like a month after dealing with your bullshit. ” Barak massaged his weary eyes. Desiring escapism from his demented reality.

Barak was one of the only few people who can fix the damage Ella is doing to her armor. He had no choice if he wants to work here since some by dumb luck,every other member of the opted out from being her personal maintenance guy. Said it would help him actually make a friend.   
  
Some friend,a really violent friend who is known to punch people all her life.

“Okay,okay.” Barak tried taking deep breaths so he can continue to work. “Let me get the spare parts. STAY.PUT.”

Barak pointed towards the floor and walked into a set of drawers and quickly came back with a replacement container and a new orange crystal in pristine condition.

“Wait,you’re spotting me a new crystal? I thought only Jericho was providing them personally when he goes to the vault,do you even know where he brings them from?.” 

“I asked the old man to give me a couple of times and what their origins were but he refused to tell me. But he didn’t mind giving me a few spares since you tend to go through them like soda cans. I can’t be bothered to ask him every time. He gave me a mean look but he understood.”

“So why are you replacing the one I have now? It isn’t that old. It has juice.”

“I am doing it just in case. If the crystal was damaged during your fight with Formax then it might explode either way. And we can’t have that.”

Ella shrieks with glee as she rubs his head. “BARAK YOU’RE THE BESTTT,I WON’T FORGET ITTT.”

“I---hope---not.” he is trying to tap out since she is holding his head in a rather forceful manner. 

“No,i’m serious! I want to buy you a drink,what do you say?”

“And we’re done.”

“Huh?”

Before Ella noticed,Barak replaced the crystal container and the crystal itself and closed her armor plating,returning her armor to it’s default state.

“Now that I finally fixed your armor,you’re free to go.” he taps her on the shoulder and pushes her away from the lab.

“B-but wait,what about the arms? My skin is exposed.”

“Yeah,I think it’s better that way,I don’t want to you do it every time you ruin it. And besides,I think it’s a good luck on you.

“Wait,you do?” Ella blushed at the thought that Barak complimented her but,one again,before she could react. She was pushed out of the lab and Barak closed the door behind her.

  
“Hey! Wait!” Ella knocked on the door. “What about that drink?” Ella shouted at the door but noticed that the hallway was full of people,other people who work at Jericho through the late hours of the night. All gawking at her like she is a part of a bit.

“It happened again,right?” “Oh,poor girl,I don’t know what she see’s in him.” “Not that anyone would notice a brute like her.”

Ella felt embarrassed and decided to lash out on her watchers. “It ain’t a show,geeks! Beat it!” causing the flock of passer byer’s to disappear from the hall she vacated.

“Why you gotta be such a jerk,Barak,you were nicer when you were younger.”  Ella sulked as she walked out of the building. Having her feelings deflected once again by her crush,the man who would repair her armor but not repair her feelings.

#  ♌ Chapter 3: mighty unbreakable walls Part 4 ♌

Niv finally got out of shower,feeling revitalized as the hot water evaporated any muscle tension he had but also got rid of any energy he had left as well.

He caught glances at the regrown area around his chest in occassion and it still made him feel queasy so he just tried to ignore it as he got himself cleaned.

He made his way downstairs as he saw Yona and Amelinda,having a drink. Amelinda was sipping on some OJ while Yona was getting slushed on...congec?

"Ugh,not again. She did it again. " Niv shakes his head in frustration.

"Hi Niv,welcome back." Amelinda greeted him with a small wave.

"Niiiv,where you bin..?" His drunk aunt inquired.

Niv went to his aunt and took the bottle from her.

"Noo,I'm not done yet." Yona whined.

"Yes you are,we arent in the weekend and if i can't slack off from school, then you can't slack off from work." Niv tried to put the bottle back in the cabinet but his aunt didn't want to part with her drink.

"You put me under a lot of stress! I think i earned a little drink." His aunt pervented him from putting the bottle back,snarling as her nephew was being rude seperating a woman from her drink.

"Yeah,A drink. Not a bottle!" Niv played with the drink,making the liquid inside swirl and do waves inside it's container. There wasn't much left from the previous amount that was originally there.

"I really tried to tell her to not go hard at it but she didn't listen to me." Amelinda politely apologized to Niv as she placed her cup on the coaster.

"No,it's fine. She doesn't drink often but she she does,she goes hard." 

"I'm nottttt a lightweight drinkerrrr". Yona's words slur as she fell on Niv's shoulder. She was this close to passing out.

"Why did start drinking?" Niv asked her as he sets her up straight.

"We,we,me and that Amelinda girl. Talked about your l...Your GTA scholarship."

"JTAA scholarshup." Amelinda corrected her.

"GTA scholarship. " Yona corrected Amelinda.

"What's that exactly?" Niv,with a puzzled expression turns his face to Amelinda,since this is the first time he heard of it.

"She wanta to thank youu,for saving her brother. She wants to help you get credentials and work for her and Have a profession. I wasn't thrilled so we argued and her white ass gave us such a good offer I felt bad for keeping you here.but i don't want you to go away. You're family." 

"W-white ass?" Amelinda jumped from the remark but Niv used his hands to tell her to calm down.

"I am not going anywhere,Yona,we will always be together." Niv pets her head to reassure her.

"Really?" Yona hiccups as the booze in her breathe reached his face.

"Y-yes. And even if i am not home all the time. I will do my best to visit."

"But what about when you live with a girl or start a family."

"...isn't it a bit early for that?."

"You do know your parents didn't marry until they had you,right?" Yona's eyes narrowed,denting Niv's argument.

"Y-yes,I know that." Niv shrugged as he didn't like to be compared to THAT part of his folk's side.

Apperently they had a rather active love life and while harmless,but when her sister got pregnant,they moved in their own. Leaving Yona by herself.

"So keep it in your pants until you get married or something. You don't want to be a dad this early in life,it will ruin your future." Yona slapped his shoulder as she went to sit down,she probably gave up on the drink and went tothe bathroom.

Amelinda could only look from the side a humorus role reversal of Niv,the responsible teenager and Yona,the irresponsible adult.

It was the first time Amelinda saw Niv being adamant and in ccontrol.it must have been a common occurrence that she tends to drink too much and cause Niv trouble.

It seems like they got a lot of stuff going on,it amused Amelinda but she theb realized that there is a chance in the near future that such situations will never occure anymore. It frightened her. She laughed as she tried to bury her thoughts deep inside of her and to focus on the new expirience she saw. 

Amelinda and Edward didn't have such a warm relationship with their father,it was always some caretaker to make sure they study well. And even then,their upbringing didn't leave the two siblings with a lot of time to play with each other. 

Amelinda was envious Niv could be this close to his aunt. It stung a bit but it also brought her joy that the last few days didn't rob Niv of who he was.

"I think I will take my leave." Amelinda proclaimed as she stood up and made her way to the door. 

"Hey,Amelinda,wait!" Niv walked Amelinda to the door but he stopped her from leaving.

"What was this about a scholarship?" 

"It's our alibi.you will be enrolled to the JTAA scholarship and during your time there,you will be studying AND you will work for Jericho in order to secure more Bracers." She opened the door and stopped in her place before she left.

"In order to fully develop your powers,you will need to be evaluated if you are worth our time. And if you are,you need to be trained and educated on how your Zodiarm works and how your enemies operate so you can be a part of Jericho's mighty unbreakable wall." 

"Jericho's M-mighty unbreakable wall?" Niv stammered as he felt the weight of her words.

"My father considers everything you did so far as a fluke. And i am here to prove you are a person of value. So I will make sure to train you so you can prove yourself to my father AND study so you can graduate and be a part of Jericho,I can offer so many things but you will have to make an effort to reach them. I am not going to offer anything on a silver platter to you." Amelinda's words were harsh but Niv didn't find any issue with that.

In fact he would probably be offended if she went easy on him. 

"I will call you at a later date to make an appointment for you. Stay home and rest,you had a rough couple of day,take care."

She closed the door behind her and left Niv,alone as he tries to process what Amelinda has told him.

He leans on the door ruminating how he feels his life just got a whole lot busier,he will have to balance school with his bracer collecting and he started to feel like one of those young super heroes he used to read about when he was younger. 

There was something frightening yet exciting about all of this. He just couldn't help but to smile.

"Having fun,stud?" Yona's head peaked from the corridor. Smirking at him with mischievous intent

"W-wha-- h-how much did you hear?"

"Nothing,I just came out of the bathroom and saw you smiling to yourself. Just don't get your hopes up,to impress a girl like her you will have to do EXTREMELY well in your scholarship."

"It's not like that!" Niv protested tried to look away. "I didn't do anything to get any kind of attention like that."

"Well,whatever you did,it left an impression on her. Which is why she is pretty much covering for you for some reason." Yona picked up a cigarette and started to smoke.

"Wait a second, you aren't dead drunk?" Niv asks her as he notices the extreme soberity of his aunt,she usually recovers way slower than this.

"Ha. Hardly. I fibbed."

"You fibbed? Like, lied and just played drunk?"

"Yeah,i had to. I needed to see what kind of a person she was."

"So you used being drunk to evaluate her?"

"Yeah."

"You're shrewd as hell,Yona."

"Women have to be shrewd. Especially as your caretaker."

"So what did you find out?" Niv sighs since he knows it would do better ask what she knows rather than inquire on her particular set of skills.

"She is a liar,she is trained to lie in a way that even if you know she is lying, you can't argue with her.she has enough capital to do as she pleases so it hardly matters what she says. Its her way or the highway."

"That so? So you think the scholarship is also a lie?" 

"That part wasn't a lie,she does want you close to her and she is using the scholarship as pretext. Maybe you saw a corporate secret and this is why you are being put under a magnifying glass. Did you notice anything that could be suspicious?"

"Well...aside from the sewer monsters,laser weapons and alien illuminati language she spoke with her brother at the hospital. Hmmm...nothing in particular."

His aunt looked at him dead serious until she bursted out laughing her lungs out. "Niv,you got such an overdeveloped imagination you crack me up." Yona wiped the tears that came out of her eyes.

"Glad you're in a good mood then. I will go to bed now." Niv tapped her back as he made his way to the staircase.

"But seriously. Tell me if you see anything fishy. I am not gonna let you be a scapegoat to some corporate slimes."

"Yeah yeah. Unless the aliens brainwash me." 

Niv went up the stairs and into his room and crashed onto his bed head on.

He finally has a moment to catch his breath,no one to bother him.

"Everything got so weird,transforming heroes,weird monsters, protecting the world? I feel like i am having a dream in the middle of class or something."

Niv raised his head and looked at his lion shaped Zodiarm and poked it.

"But it's all real. "

Niv's eyes started to close down. He drifted to dreams but the lingering thought he had was…

"I wonder how Ana and Segev would react to his scholarship."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am REALLY sorry for messing up the chapter order but i felt like i had to since chapter 1 was a whooping 60 page chapter and that's dumb.
> 
> i also condenced chapter 4 into a single reading chapter since my ADHD is acting up.
> 
> also apologies for bad grammer but i am in the process of improving them,I would love to have proofreaders and Beta readers to help me make the chapters better.


End file.
